Dream of Revenge
by Wombat Pestilence
Summary: Neytiri must find a way to live after tragic events transpire, and she must protect her unborn child and the Omaticaya from an new enemy, who they once counted as one of them. The tribe will face peril and the Toruk will fly again!
1. Abandoned

Chapter 1: Dreams and Visions

Between thoughts and reality, between reality and dreams, Neytiri resided.

She saw herself, or should she say, was lying in her and Jake's alcove in the new Kelutrel.. Feelings and sensations swirled around her, or were they in her mind?

She wasn't sure.

She wasn't sure of anything that was going on in this….dream, if that's what it was. She vaguely sensed some form of pain emanating from her body. She winced at the sensation. She hissed and bared her teeth at what she realized was a faceless enemy, her own body.

As she focused more and more on the pain, it intensified. Her sense of detachment from her body lessened as her pain increased. She began to feel the sweat on her brow and the cool grain of the wood floor beneath her aching back.

Without her consent or direction, a scream ripped from her throat. Immense pain enveloped her body. Though the pain seemed debilitating, it caused her to focus on her body, and she finally felt grounded in it again, all sense of vagueness gone, and with that, she lifted her head to look around. The first thing that caught her sight was her own stomach, swollen and sweaty, it bulged in front of her.

Then it hit her. The pain, the swollen belly.

She had talked to enough females to recognize the fact that she was apparently giving birth right now.

She looked to her left and saw her mother, Moat, the Tsahik of the Omaticaya, grinding plants up in a wooden bowl with a stone pummel. A gentle smoke rose from the stone basin as the plant's gentle leaves were ground to dust.

She looked to her right, she saw three Na'vi women preparing warm water and cloths to receive the child when it was born.

Neytiri looked back down at her belly. How could she be pregnant and giving birth? Why could she not remember herself being with child? How come nobody was helping her through the pain? She had talked to mothers about the experience, and they told her it would be painful, but she had no idea it would far outstrip their descriptions of agony, because to her it seemed like waves of pulsating pain were shooting across her frame.

She needed help. Jake would help her. Then it hit her, where was Jake? She looked to her left and then her right to find Jake nowhere in the alcove. As another wave of pain broke on her, her confusion turned to anger.

That skxawng! She thought. She would kill him herself. How could he not be present for the birth of their child? Jake should be here cooling her brow or talking soothingly to her. Where was he?

She let out a feral scream as the pain tore through her again. Neytiri briefly indulged a thought that involved feeding Jake to a Palulukan, but her thoughts then went back to pondering why Jake would not be present for such an important moment. Even through the pain, she tried to reason why her mate would be missing.

Through her pain-induced fog, Neytiri could envision a dozen different tasks Moat would send Jake on to prepare for the youngling's arrival. That must be it. Jake would only be missing this moment unless he absolutely had to.

Her thoughts were beginning to turn to affection for Jake and how he was always willing to help, when pain such she had never known made itself known to her body, and her thoughts, the few that were able to be make it coherently to her mind through the pain, called for Jake's death in the most brutal of ways. Neytiri cried out in anger.

"Jake, I am going to throw you off the top of Hometree."She screeched. "How could you do this to me?" A pain shot through her frame and she paused to let it pass. Her hands gripped the floor, scratching it with her nails. " You did this to me!" She snarled.

Sweat poured into her eyes and stung them. The pain broke down her anger and reduced her to sobbing. Hot tears poured down her face and she swung her head from side to side, trying to find Jake. She could not find him, so she pleaded to the empty air.

"My Jake, why won't you help me? Jake, help! Jake, it hurts." She hated how giving birth had reduced her to a helpless puddle of a person, but it was too much, too painful. She sat there and called out to Jake. Jake never came.

Neytiri didn't shoot awake from her dream, despite its shocking content. She quickly opened both eyes, but did not move otherwise. Her breathing slowly returned to normal and the sweat dried upon her brow.

She lay there, poring over her dream in her mind. She tried to hold on to the fragments of the dream as reality grasped her more and more and the dominion of dreams faded back into the murky depths of her mind. She was able to hold on to the crucial elements of the dream. She remembered being in labor, and being in immense pain, and her Jake not being there.

She hoped the dream remained just a dream and did not turn into any reality. She could not imagine facing such a challenge or painful ordeal without her mate there. Her hands slid on the moss bed from where they had rested under her head to travel over her stomach, where a small bump resided. Dreams about being with child and giving birth would become even more frequent, she thought, now that she was actually a full moon into being with child.

Surely, in the coming months, all of her thoughts would be focused on the coming youngling. She figured that this dream would be the first of many. However, she just couldn't shake the feeling of the gravity of this dream, of the certain quality it had to evoke in her a sense of apprehension and slight dread.

As the daughter of the Tsahik and a Tsahik in training herself, Neytiri out of anyone could recognize that some dreams were not mere wisps of thoughts, but in fact powerful omens or visions, sent from Eywa.

Such dreams, if ascertained to be a sign from Eywa, were to be regarded in a serious manner, and one was to look for signs of any such omen coming to fruition. Neytiri could not decide her feelings on the dream, but kept it in her mind all the same as she rolled over to greet Jake.

Before her eyes could see him as she rolled over, her hands instinctively reached to touch his chest and feel his warmth. Her hands were met with nothing but air. As she finished rolling over, she saw that Jakes spot in the bed was empty, the moss on his side cool to the touch, indicating his departure was some time ago. She felt a great confusion at this. Jake was never up before her, and on the rare occasion that he was, he always waited for her to wake or he gently woke her himself.

Neytiri could not help the small frown that formed on her mouth and that creased her brow. Maybe some of the apprehension of her dream was bleeding over into her waking life, but she did not like the fact that Jake was not there for her when she woke up.

Neytiri found that waking up next to Jake was one of the best things in her day.

Before the war, Jake had been uniltìrantokx, a dreamwalker, a spirit between two bodies. When she realized that she loved Jake, she was constantly terrified that he would be taken away from her since he did not reside in his dreamwalker body.

The times that Jake was asleep in his dreamwalker body, he slept like the dead, and Neytiri was always slightly worried that he had left that body forever or was truly dead. Then at the end of the final battle, when she had almost lost Jake, the state in which both of Jake's bodies had been in had left her terrified of him never waking up again.

Since that moment, seeing Jake wake up or seeing him when she woke up had become a comforting ritual for her. Being able to wake him up herself, calmed that small, terrified part of her and reassured her worried mind that he was truly in his dreamwalker body, that he was no longer uniltìrantokx, but truly Na'v.

Neytiri had gotten used to comforting herself this way. She wanted Jake to be the first thing she saw in the morning and the last thing she saw as sleep took her. And usually she got her desire, so Jake's sudden absence this morning sparked a sense of slightly apprehensive curiosity in her as to Jake's current whereabouts.

Neytiri sat up on the moss pad and swung her long legs over the side. She sat on the edge of the pad for a moment to let her thoughts gather. She told her upset mind that Jake was probably attending to some duty or function; after all, he was olo'eyktan.

Still, he could have woken her so as not to worry her. She looked over to the door of the alcove and saw that Jake's bow and quiver were gone, along with his flying glasses, she noticed. It was obvious he had or intended to go hunting.

Without telling or taking her. This upset her.

Jake always wanted to go hunting with her, why would he not want to this time? She placed both of her hands on her stomach and sighed, talking to her unborn child "What am I going to do with your father?" She asked as she rubbed small circles on her cerulean blue stomach.

Neytiri then stood up and did a little stretch. She flexed her long legs and arms to work out the knots of a goods nights sleep. She walked over to her side of the alcove. She grabbed her necklace from her small shelf where she kept several other personal effects.

She walked over to the entrance to the alcove, where upon the doorframe, hung her father's bow. The bow is a magnificent weapon, and a reminder to Neytiri everyday that though her father is dead, his strong memory still lives on. Neytiri thinks that the bow, such a strong and powerful object, is the like the Omaticaya, who are strong and at peace once again.

Even though the war with the Tawtute was terrible and they lost much, they are now living life once again. She intends to live her life to the fullest in memory of her father and all those who died in the battle. Intent upon finding Jake and prodding him for the reasons of his early rising, she slung the bow and a quiver over her back.

She stepped out of the alcove into the dappled mid morning sunlight filtering down through the branches of the Kelutrel. She looked around, she was alone. She decided that the rest of the clan must already be about their chores.

With her lithe and nimble form, she descended to lower branches, heading for the bottom of Hometree. She moved with the quiet but lethal grace of a huntress, and with practiced ease, the descent was smooth and swift.

Even with the small bump of her pregnancy, Neytiri still seemingly glided through her forest home. She reached the bottom of the Hometree to see other clan members going about their business. She looked around.

The morning light slowly made its way through the vast branches of Hometree to cast strange shadows. She looked up to the sun, it must be nearly midday now. She cursed herself for letting herself sleep so long.

Then she wondered to herself how long that dream really took.

As she made her way towards a cooking fire, she noticed some of the other clan members working off to the side of the camp. Some were preparing the fire pits for the hunters' return, while others worked the Great Loom. She really only wanted to see one other clan member right now though, besides Jake.

She wanted to talk to her mother.

Neytiri still felt some of her previous apprehension of her dream and she wanted to discuss it with Moat. As the venerable and experienced Tsahik of the Omaticaya, Moat would know what the dream meant, or at least have some better understanding of it than Neytiri did.

Neytiri found Moat under the roots of a small Kelutrel sapling. Even though the tree was in its relative infancy, it already stretched to the height of any of the other forest trees and it was as wide enough so that twenty Na'vi would have to link arms to encompass its girth.

This particular sapling had somehow found room in the soil to spring up in between Hometree's colossal roots and start growing within a stone's throw of the base of Hometree.

In the early stages of the trees growth, it shot up out of the ground and the massive roots suspended the vast bulky, trunk of the tree above it. Thus, underneath of the roots was a sort of chamber, surrounded and vaulted with the massive roots of the infant tree.

Moat had chosen the space to serve as a healing area, so that those with sickness and those still not completely cured of grave wounds suffered in the battle could have a place to live that was very close to home and did not require them to climb up Hometree's trunk to get there.

The immense roots of the tree formed archways as they tangled and twisted in between each other, thus creating a sort of walled space with intermittent openings to the area within.

Neytiri ducked through one of these particular archways and looked around. It had been a year since the great battle, so only two or three of those present had been gravely wounded people. Only four or five others populated the space. Three healers ran around the space, tending to the others.

Neytiri saw Moat standing over an old Na'vi, one whom Neytiri did not recognize. Neytiri began to slowly make her way through the wounded and sick to get to Moat. As she looked around, the faces and eyes of the sick and wounded followed her. All of them recognized her and knew her. She was, after all, the princess of the Omaticaya, and amazingly, she thought, the mate of the sixth Toruk Makto, and their olo'eyktan.

Some of them made gestures in greeting and acknowledgement, while the sicker ones merely nodded. Neytiri responded in kind as she made her way over to her mother. She turned back around to see her mother bending closely over the old one, who now seemed to be asleep.

"What troubles you, my daughter, that you sleep so late, and then when you do wake, you come immediately to me?" Moat questions without ever turning away from her charge, or even acknowledging her daughters presence. Neytiri knew Moat was very wise and could see things from very little, so she decided to overlook her mother's knowledge of her morning events. She decided to go straight into her questions.

"I had a dream, mother" Neytiri simply states. Moat continues to observe the old patient and does not turn around or make any attempt to show her daughter she has heard her. Neytiri, from experience takes her silence as a sign to continue. "It was a dream about my 'eveng." She says in a quiet voice. Neytiri notices the change in Moat as soon as her words leave her mouth. Moat turns around and looks at Neytiri, her eyes questioning and her look one of curiosity.

"Go on, tell me more" Moat says. Neytiri proceeds to explain the full extent of her dream to Moat. Neytiri then spills her fears and apprehension before she can stop herself, she rambles on about the feelings of pain and fear she got when she was in the dream.

Finally, she realized how much and how long she had been talking for and she immediately went quiet and sat down on a flat rock next to her, her eyes downcast upon the floor. She then felt Moat's hand upon her shoulder, warm and comforting. Nrytiri looked up into her mother's eyes.

"My dear child" Moat began."….It is natural for such a dream to frighten you, and for such a dream to be had in the first place." Moat continued. She then took her hand and put it in Neytiri's and used it to pull her daughter up so that she was standing. "Don't worry about the dream, my child, we will tell soon enough if it is of any significance" Moat gestures in the air with her hands, as if to dispel the worries like they were in the air, plaguing their sensibilities. "Walk with me Neytiri, we will talk of your future and your 'eveng" Moat says as she tugs on Neytiri's hand and leads her through the patients to the outside of the healing area.

As they step from out of the space from under the sapling, the morning light hits them with blinding light.

They quickly step out and begun to walk across the camp to the cooking fires. They are silent for a moment, before Neytiri speaks up. "I forgot to ask you mother, Jake was not nest to me when I awoke this morning, have you seen him this morning?" Neytiri asks. Moat looks down, a slight look of guilt crossing her face.

This look confuses Neytiri. Moat looks back up at her daughter and smiles.

"Jakesully awoke very early this morning, and I was surprised to not see you with him." Moat replies, putting her hands on her daughters in a calming motion at the sight of her daughter's imminent interjection. "And before you get upset, when I saw him, I asked him what he was doing up so early. He replied that he was getting his day's hunting done early, and that he knew of a spot about a morning's ride from Hometree, where he knew there to be many yerik. He asked me not to wake you, that he wanted you to sleep and get your rest, for you and your child." Moat explained.

She let go of her daughter's hands and looked her in the eyes. "Jakesully merely wants you to be safe and healthy, now that you are with child, and he felt that he should get away and get his hunting done before you could convince him to let you go with him, and to be honest, I cannot blame him, we all want you to be safe and…." Moat says before being cut off by Neytiri.

"I understand Jake wants me to be safe and that he is just looking out for me and our child, but I am pregnant, not a lame pa'li! I just wish he had asked me before disappearing off on his ikran, the skxawng!" Neytiri fussed.

She looked back up into her mother's eyes, and upon seeing the look of slight worry, she assured her mother "Mother, I don't intend on doing anything drastic or stupid while I am with child, but I don't wish to be grounded like an ikran that is too fat to fly. I don't want Jake looming over me telling me what I can and cannot do, and him making my decisions for me, I am perfectly capable of doing that myself, and making decisions perfectly safe for my child." Moat merely sighed and continued to walk forward towards Hometree, Neytiri followed her.

"I know you feel that way child, but don't push Jake away, he is only trying to do what he thinks is best." Moat looked up to see her daughter still looking down with a look of annoyance.

Moat smiled at her daughter's annoyance. "You know, Jake may be Na'vi in body now, but he is still part Tawtute in spirit, and therefore good Na'vi males and Tawtute males cannot be that different, because your father acted very similarly to Jake when I was with child".

Neytiri looked up, a little wide eyed, and Moat chuckled at her daughter's expression. "Don't worry too much child, be happy that you have a mate that values you such that he is trying to protect you, it may be annoying, and don't worry I found it to be annoying when your father acted that way too, but I knew it was out of caring that he did it."

Neytiri seemed to ponder this, as her brow creased in concentration and she looked down at the ground, as if studying it. Moat reached out and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Come, we will go to my alcove and eat, and then I will take you to the top of Hometree, to the ikran roost, where you can await Jake's return." Moat coaxed her daughter along. Neytiri gave a small smile at the thought of seeing Jake, hopefully with a full bounty of yerik.

Just as they are about to start ascending the central spiral of Hometree, there is a great commotion behind them and several loud shouts and whoops break the midday peace. One of the hunters on watch came riding up on his pa'li.

The watch was a new habit put into place by Jake when he became olo'eyktan, that there should always be a group of hunters on the guard, watching for threats at all times.

The hunter, a strong male Neytiri knew to be called F'yukan, disconnected tsayhalu and dismounted. He quickly trot over to Moat and Neytiri, having seen them immediately as he entered the camp. He was sweating and breathing hard, and he only half heartedly made a gesture of greeting to the Omaticaya Tsahik and princess.

He started to talk while still trying to catch his breath. "Tsahik, Princess Neytiri…there is a large group of…..Na'vi approaching….I don't think they are Omaticaya…they are very light skinned…..and have strange stripes…..I must speak to the olo'eyktan at once…..he must know of this." F'yukan gasps out his message to them both and puts his hands on his side.

Neytiri and Moat look at each other. Moat has a determined look in her eyes and she straightens herself up to her full height and then looks down at the still panting F'yukan. "You have done well F'yukan to bring us these tidings, many clans are on the move after the war. Unfortunately, Jakesully has not returned from hunting today, me and Neytiri will assume command in his absence, we will go up Hometree to gain a better view of these newcomers." F'yukan nodded, looking up at the Tsahik from his half crouched postion.

She continued "Now F'yukan, if you can run a bit more, I must ask you to go find and bring to me Odo'khal, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut. They are the hunters I know Jake to trust most, bring them to me so that I may confer with them on this situation."

Moat turned to ascend Hometree, and Neytiri followed to do the same. They walked in silence as hunters below them organized their weapons and old ones and children got into groups that waited at the base of Hometree.

Soon Neytiri and Moat had reached a platform a small distance up Hometree, where the branches opened up and they had a clear view of the lake and the gently sloping hill that led down to it.

The hill that led down to the lake was sparsely covered, only being carpeted in small underbrush, with occasional trees. There upon the lake's edge stood a large group of Na'vi, bigger than her own clan's warriors, Neytiri judged. They rested upon the lakes edge. Waiting, it seemed.

Then a rousing cry went up from among them and they marched forward in one large mob. The warriors at Moat's side begun to shout orders at hunters waiting at their sides. Hunters scrambled up and down Hometree, preparing for the imminent arrival of these strange Na'vi.

F'yukan had been right, even from a distance, Neytiri could tell these Na'vi were not close to the Omaticaya at all, they beared little bluish color, and as they got closer, she could see strange whitish stripes upon their skin. They were like nothing Neytiri had ever seen or heard of.

She looked over to her mother, and saw that under the mask of determination, there was worry clouding her wizened golden eyes. Neytiri began to worry and she scanned the skies, hoping for a familiar figure to drop from the sky to their aid. She couldn't help but stomp her foot as she scanned the bright blue noon skies and thought to herself

"Where are you, Jake?"


	2. Lost in Despair

Chapter 2: Lost in Despair

The sound of several guards blowing on shell horns warned the Omaticaya tribe of the oncoming horde of newcomers. The warriors massed at the base of Hometree with weapons ready, their war cries and excited whoops filling the air around the camp. Upon hearing the heralds of the Omaticaya guards, the mob of strange Na'vi stopped halfway up the hill, standing still in the noon sunlight, the light illuminating their strange pale blue skin and white stripes. They stood a head shorter than the average Na'vi, and the shoulders were broader and their features were less refined than that of the Omaticaya. Many of the warriors among the strange people carried tall wooden poles sharpened either to a point or bearing a stone tipped blade affixed to the end. Neytiri and Moat watched as Odo'khal, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut strode out from the edge of the forest to greet the newcomers. The five hunters came to stop just paces from the mob, their bows hung at their sides, in an alert but non-threatening gesture.

Neytiri watched with her breath held, looking for any sign of a conflict breaking out, her large golden eyes wide with apprehension and concentration as they scanned the strange mob. A few of the strange Na'vi stepped forward, but even from a distance, Neytiri could sense their hesitance. She did not blame them, as Odo'khal stood out from the Omaticaya delegation, his massive arms crossed across his boulder like chest, he stood there like some fearsome sentinel, staring down at these strangers. On Odo'khal's back was his knife, twice the size of any Na'vi knife, but wieldy in his hefty hands. His bow seemed to be a small sapling, and he made his own arrows to fit it, shafts almost as tall as Neytiri. Needless to say, he was the perfect warrior to head up the welcoming party, he posed an intimidating sight. In Neytiri's mind the only thing that would make this scene more intimidating would be Jake, Toruk Makto himself, standing next to Odo'khal, a confident smirk on his face, but his mind as sharp as a Palulukan's claws, constantly on the alert for an attack. Neytiri knew Jake had been gangly and awkward in his Na'vi body when he had first started training, but it was obvious, once he became confident in his body, that he was a warrior through and through, and his "Ma'reen" training, as he put it, in a Na'vi body made him a fearsome adversary.

Neytiri didn't know if these new Na'vi meant harm, but after the Tawtute attack, she had learned to take little for granted, and she had learned that she would fight dearly for peace for the Omaticaya, be it Na'vi or Tawtute that threatened her clan. She refocused on the scene on the hill below as she registered movement from Odo'khal, he stretched out his massive hands in a gesture of acknowledgement, effectively opening the greetings.

The two groups began to enter into some sort of conversation, their hands gesticulating in the exchange, and the low thrum of distant voices came to Neytiri's huntress ears. Though she could not hear or tell what was being said, Neytiri could tell from their motions and general air of the conversation that it was not hostile but not openly friendly either. She noticed that Moat watched the exchange with analytical concentration, her eyes never leaving Odo'khal or the two Na'vi that stood out from the mob. Though her face was a stony mask, her brow gave away her concern. Neytiri turned her gaze back on the assembly below, her eyes traveling back and forth between the Omaticaya warriors and the outlanders. The sound of voices suddenly stopped, and a short silence descended upon the whole scene, with the only sound being the slight wind whispering against the boughs of Hometree.

Then, the giant warrior Odo'khal gestured over his shoulder and he turned back to the forest and Hometree. He began to head back up the hill, and Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut followed. Odo'khal gave a great war call that echoed to the top of Hometree, and suddenly twenty Omaticaya warriors with bows held at the ready appeared from the edge of the forest. Ten of the outlanders followed the warriors up the hill. Neytiri noticed suddenly that one of the ten was much darker and taller than the other Na'vi. She noticed that this particular Na'vi seemed familiar in his movements and his skin was the cerulean blue of an Omaticaya and that his stripes were like those of many of her fellow Na'vi. She was confused greatly by this. This Na'vi stood out plainly from his shorter counterparts. He could possibly be a member of the Plains or Eastern Sea tribes. Neytiri couldn't help but wonder what a member of the Western Tribes would be doing amongst the company of some strange, obviously, very foreign Na'vi.

As the group got closer, Neytiri's curiosity became more and more piqued, and she could take it no longer. She turned around and started back down the spiral of Hometree. She could hear her mother's protests behind her, but she felt that she had to see these new Na'vi for herself and also that in Jake's absence she had a duty to represent him. She knew in the back of her mind, Jake would be hesitant to let her face these strange Na'vi, but she didn't care right now. Since Jake could not be here, she had to show the clan that she could handle his duties as well. After all, Jake, still not knowing all of the Omaticaya customs, turned to Neytiri for a fair portion of advice as to his duties as olo'eyktan, so why couldn't Neytiri be the clan leader for just a little bit? She saw no harm in it, and she was worried as to when Jake would return, so she knew she had to handle the situation.

She reached the bottom of Hometree as the group of Omaticaya warriors and the strange Na'vi reached the edge of the forest clearing. Neytiri stopped short and she could hear someone come up behind her and she felt hands on her shoulders. Neytiri turned her head to see her mother standing behind her, staring straight ahead at the newcomers.

Odo'khal sees Neytiri and Moat and begins to lead the group towards them. The mass of Omaticaya warriors surrounding the base of Hometree begin to shift nervously and many craned their heads to get glimpses of the outlanders. Hands tighten on bowstrings as the group gets closer and closer and only on a hand gesture from Odo'khal do many of the warriors relax their grips. The group comes to a stop in front on Neytiri, Moat and the assembled Omaticaya. Odo'khal makes the gesture from his forehead showing acknowledgement "Oel ngati kameie, Tsahik, Neytiri." He pointed over his shoulder to indicate two Na'vi that had stepped out from the midst of the strangers "This is G'harku and Ensu, they represent the two commanders of the Kllteyka clan. They come from far to the south."

Odo'khal then looked up with nervousness in his eyes, and he put his giant hands forward in a placating gesture "Tsahik, Neytiri, they bring someone with them, they claim he is their olo'eyktan, I would not believe it with my own eyes if I had not seen it. He begs to speak with you," As Odo'khal said this, the eight outlanders lingering back from the gathering parted and one stepped forward. It was the familiar Na'vi, and once Neytiri saw his face, she gasped, unable to truly believe what her eyes were telling her and she fell back against her mother, who stumbled as she seemed to be just as shocked.

Tsu'tey's face stared back at them. He was just as tall as he had been, but he was more scarred and had a glint to his eyes that sent chills running through Neytiri's body. His face that had once been distinguished and proud, now was covered in several long scars, and the lines of the healed wounds broke and contorted as he formed a smile. He made the gesture of acknowledgement "Oel nagati kameie Neytiri, Tsahik" His voice came out sounding more gravelly than Neytiri remembered it. She was still too shocked to see Tsu'tey alive. Then before she knew it, she walked forward and put her arms on Tsu'tey's, forearms, almost touching him, just to see if he was really there.

"Tsu'tey, how did you survive? We searched and searched for you, but couldn't find you! Where have you been………..wha………how?" The questions poured from Neytiri's mouth and Tsu'tey laughed quietly. She noticed his eyes traveling over her body, the action generating a slight feeling of discomfort in Neytiri, considering Jake and Tsu'tey's rocky past. Then she noticed as Tsu'tey's eyes settled on her stomach, on the bump that was significant of her being with child and in that moment she saw something, that his smile faltered for a moment, and a glimmer of something vitriolic flashed in his eyes, and his features turned harsh and tense. Neytiri wondered if she had imagined it, because a moment later, Tsu'tey had plastered back on his small smile and his eyes lacked the sheen of piercing hate she had sensed in them seconds ago.

Neytiri glanced at her mother, and she saw that Moat seemed to be studying Tsu'tey with a mixture of amazement and hesitation. She seemed like it was too stunning to see Tsu'tey alive, and she couldn't decide on whether to be astounded by such amazing circumstances, or to be cautious of Tsu'tey's sudden appearance and the company he traveled with. She opened her mouth to speak, but seemingly struggled with her words, she paused for a second, mouth open, but then regained control.

"Son of the Omaticaya, how have you returned to us and in what company do you travel? If I heard Odo'khal correctly, they claim you as their olo'eyktan, is this true?" Moat ventured. Tsu'tey nodded and his smile once again faltered, and he bowed his head but no glint of malice crossed his eyes, but he looked back up at them with a look of apprehension and sadness.

"It is indeed a joyous occasion to be reunited with the Omaticaya once more, and the tale of my travels since the battle is a long one, but all this can wait." He said with a slight note of trepidation. "I'm afraid our reunion is under unfortunate circumstances, as I am the bearer of tragic news." Tsu'tey paused to let his words sink in and in that moment, Neytiri felt worry grip her heart. What had happened? Was there going to be another Tawtute attack? She let her fears run through her mind. Tsu'tey must have seen her look of fear, because he turned to Moat. "Tsahik, I must call more of my brethren to bear him up here immediately if there is to be any hope, only then can you help him." Moat looked confused, but nodded. As Tsahik, she could not turn away a wounded Na'vi.

Tsu'tey took a bone whistle from his belt; it seemed to be fashioned from the horn of a yerik and be blew a loud, sharp note on it. Tsu'tey turned back to Neytiri and Moat. Odo'khal looked apprehensive about the idea of more of the strangers coming into camp, his massive hands gripping the wood of his bow until his knuckles were very pale, and his large greenish eyes darted around, constantly on the alert. Neytiri noticed this and she looked to Moat for advice. They looked at each other; the worry was evident on both of their faces. Tsu'tey continued to explain "We have done everything we can for him, though he is gravely wounded, we found him lying in the forest about half a morning's flight from this Kelutrel. I was coming to reunite myself with the Omaticaya when we stumbled upon him. With many of the brethren lacking healing skills such as the Tsahik would, I knew I had to get him here as fast as possible, he………" Neytiri cut off Tsu'tey and looked directly into his eyes

"Who is so gravely wounded? Tell us and we will help them as best we can" Tsu'tey merely looked down and opened his mouth to speak, but commotion from the edge of the forest made them both turn around. Tsu'tey stepped back and bowed his head, his eyes refusing to meet Neytiri's. She saw through the crowd, six of the strange Na'vi bearing between them a stretcher. As the Na'vi trotted forward with their wounded charge, many Omaticaya gasped as they caught sight of a Na'vi arm protruding from under leaves that had been placed over the stretcher. As they got closer, Neytiri saw Odo'khal's eyes widen and his massive bulk moved swiftly across the small space and his hands flew to the stretcher to help bear it up. Then, she saw it, she could not see the face of the Na'vi on the stretcher yet, but she caught a glimpse of a familiar hand falling over the side of it. It had five fingers.

'JAKE!" the scream tore from her throat and before any conscious thought registered to her, she was across the clearing and tearing at the leaves the stretcher bearers had put over his body to help cool him. A cried out in dismay and fell back onto her haunches when she saw his face. His handsome face was now swollen and covered in a sickly yellow and purple color that emanated from the terrible bruises covering his face. Half of his face was caked with blotches of dried blood that had most likely spouted from his very broken nose, its shape distorted and cartilage sticking out from a long gash that ran the bridge of it. Neytiri sprang back up and ripped the other leaves off of his chest and torso. She felt sick at the sight of several of his ribs sticking out of his skin and vast green bruises covered his torso. Neytiri let out a dry sob and linked her hand into Jake's larger hand and moved with the stretcher bearers as they continued towards Moat at the base of Hometree. She ran the other hand down the line of his face, and she bent over him and began to frantically plead with his unconscious body "Jake, please wake up! Wake up Jake!" There was no response or sign of life from Jake. Neytiri grabbed Jake by his shoulders and shook him, whimpering to him, silent tears marking her face "My Jake, please!' As she shook him, his head lolled from side to side, and seeing this broke her restraint, and she began to sob quietly and her shoulders shook violently. She felt Moat try and pull her away, but she resisted and she let out a strangled cry. When Moat tugged her forcefully, she turned and snarled at her. Tear stains streaked down Neytiri's cheeks and her eyes shone with pain, but her teeth were bared and she held onto Jake's hand like it was the only thing in the world. Moat held her hands out in a calming gesture, but her voice was firm and commanding. Neytiri knew in some dim corner of her mind that out of all people, Moat was trying to help, but her pain and instinct to protect her mate put her over the edge.

"Come, daughter, we must do what we can swiftly, and you must move out of the way so the healers can help." Moat said to her frantic daughter. Moat then began to call on the healers to move the stretcher, when Odo'khal crouched down and lifted Jake into his huge arms and gently carried him up into Hometree in massive strides. Moat eyes widened in surprise but she quickly recovered and began to run up the central root of Hometree, gesturing for all four of the healers to follow her.

Neytiri stood there in stunned silence. She had ceased crying, but the shock of the situation not set in and she couldn't accept the fact that Jake was grievously injured. She couldn't admit to being afraid for Jake, because then that would make it real. At that moment, her deepest and darkest fears took hold and an immense weight settled in her chest. She felt worry and sorrow constrict her throat, and she found it hard to breath as her fears played in her mind. What if Jake was going to die? A scream nearly escaped her throat before she reigned it back in and a look of grim determination crossed her face. Jake needed her. She sprinted up the central root with all speed and ascended Hometree to go be with her Jake. After all they had been through to be with each other, there was no way she was letting him go without a fight.

She found the healers and her mother frantically rushing about in her mother's alcove. They had Jake laid out on a great moss mat, and Neytiri held back a sob at how limp and still his frame looked. Moat caught sight of her daughter and motioned for her to come in. "Come, daughter, I know this will be hard for you, very hard, but he needs all the help he can get now, and you can help us. You can also just keep him company, maybe your presence can help him pull through." Neytiri stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed upon Jake's motionless form. Moat let out a sound of aggravation and reached out to Neytiri "My child, you must help us, he needs you, you must be strong for him." She pulled Neytiri through the alcove opening by the hand.

Neytiri bent down over Jake's limp body and took in his full appearance as it lay stretched out on the mat. His body was bruised heavily and broken in several places, and his chest rose and fell very slowly. She felt her heart break as she noticed his head loll side to side as one of the healers examined it. Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to one of the healers, a female named Li'lu looking back at her with caring and sympathetic eyes.

"Have no fear, princess, Toruk Makto is mighty and strong, he will survive this" The healer said before returning to applying a cloth to wash the dried blood from Jake's nose. Neytiri knew that she should share Li'lu's optimism, but her worry clouded her mind into an irrational state of near hysterical panic at the thought of losing Jake. Jake was her life, and she honestly didn't see herself living without him. How could this happen? Her thoughts were churning and her emotions began to turn to desperation and anger at her inability to do anything for her mate, her helplessness. She cursed Jake's stubbornness that he would not let her go hunting with him, then maybe she could have been there to protect him. She should have been there to protect him. Her anger dissolved into a bubbling deluge of guilt.

She leaned down closer to Jake and placed a long, solid kiss upon Jake's still lips. She let the contact linger until hot, silent tears poured out of Neytiri's eyes and onto Jake's face. She looked down into his broken face. Jake's face was one of her favorite things about him. She knew him unlike other people and knew that two people had once lurked behind that face that he had constantly battled between maintaining two lives, for _her._

She saw both the men she had fallen so deeply in love with, both the Tawtute and the dreamwalker. Jake's spirit was strong, and whether it was Na'vi or Tawtute, she desired, she _needed_ his spirit to arise and bring him back to her. Her eyes lingered on his closed lids, as if willing him silently to open his eyes. She began to quietly plead with him "Please, Jake, you have to wake up…………..wake up, Jake, if not for me, then for your child, don't leave us, please. My love, we cannot live without you." The thought of her child growing up without knowing their father, the mighty Toruk Makto, caused Neytiri's heart to shatter. She could not handle that pain. Jake had to wake up; no child should grow up without their father, especially when that child's father loved them as much as Jake loved their unborn child. Neytiri's knew that Jake loved her and wanted to be with her but she couldn't help but be a little nervous when she was to tell Jake about her pregnancy. Neytiri inwardly smiled at Jake's reaction when she had informed him that she was with child.

Jake had just descended from the afternoon skies on Smaug, his ikran, and had just disconnected tsayhalu when she had nearly knocked him over, running into his arms. He had quickly recovered and lifted her into the air into his embrace, he laughed at the surprise attack and had spun her around in the air. She had laughed like she hadn't since she was a child. He slowly came to a stop and put her back on the ground, and she once again surprised him again by crushing her lips against his and her arms encircling his neck. He was momentarily stunned, but his hands acted on instinct, with one alighting upon her cheek and the other descending to her hip, pulling her close to him. Even though they were in the open, in front of other clan members, they kept the kiss going until they both ran out of air. Neytiri pulled back and immediately broke into a smile when she saw the lopsided grin on Jake's face.

"Man, not that I'm complaining by any means, but what was that for?" He questioned. "I'm gonna have to start hunting by myself more often if this is the kind of greeting I come home to." Neytiri lightly smacked him on the chest, and gave him a slight glare. Jake chuckled, and Neytiri was unable to keep a straight face and she broke into a smile. She turned around and started to trot to the forest, her hand looped into Jake's and her dragging him along behind her. He laughed and chuckled as he told her to slow down.

"Whats the hurry, my love?" Neytiri merely looked back over her shoulder at him with a smile and a look that clearly said "you'll see". Jake merely smiled even wider at her teasing and he ran forward and walked alongside her, hand in hand.

They had walked through the forest for about an hour, their initial hysterics over with. They walked in comfortable silence and stole glances at each other, shooting the other smiles laden with meaning. Neytiri's smiles and looks were dripping with raw anticipation and eagerness to tell Jake her news, while Jake's looks, attempting to look calm and relaxed, belied a great sense of anxiousness to hear whatever it was that Neytiri was so obviously eager to tell him.

They finally came to a clearing that bordered a small river. The river flowed down from some nearby hills and it came roaring into the clearing by cascading down a high cliff face in a majestic waterfall, which formed one wall of the clearing. The other three sides of the clearing were bordered with forest. Neytiri and Jake had been here before; they had found the spot not long after the great battle, after stopping to rest on one of their long flights searching for a new Kelutrel. It was a wonderful and beautiful little spot. Since its discovery they had spent many peaceful nights there, and had used its tranquility and seclusion to have peaceful, uninterrupted time to themselves, to just have fun and to deepen their love even more.

Jake looked around at the place and then back at Neytiri, he had an infectious mischievous grin on his face. He put his hands to his head and exaggerated a sigh "Man, its hot as hell out here, I'm burnin' up, I think I'll go for a swim." Neytiri was so lost in Jake's smile and eyes and her own excitement that she was completely caught off guard when Jake picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. She squealed in surprise, and began to slap Jake's back, trying to protest, but laughing too much to get any words out.

Jake went straight for one of the small pools that formed in the eddies at the base of the waterfall. He went in up to his thighs, and then with Neytiri over his shoulder, he jumped straight out into the deeper water. He let her go when they hit the water and she righted herself in the cool, clear roil. She broke the surface to find Jake standing directly in front of her, the water glistening off of his skin and his eyes shone darker in the fading light of the late afternoon. She decided to get it over with, she wanted Jake to know. She put one hand on Jake's cheek. He sighed at the contact, grabbing her wrist with his hand and turning his head into her hand, and tenderly kissing her palm. Her tail curled at Jake's actions and she knew she had to get it out before Jake had her completely distracted.

"My Jake, I have wonderful news to tell you" She let her words sink in. Jake kept his face turned into her hand, but his eyes looked into hers. Neytiri continued "Eywa has chosen to bless me with many things in my life, and now she has blessed me with a gift that I may give to my mate, she has blessed _us_ with a wonderful gift, one that I may bestow upon you". Jake looked pleased at her words, but slightly confused. Neytiri chuckled lightly. She took Jake's other hand in hers and guided it to her flat stomach. Her voice was tender and breaking from restrained happiness as she continues "Here, my Jake, does my gift to you, and our blessing, reside". Jake's eyes went wide with shock and his jaw hung open, dumbfounded.

Neytiri waited in suspense for Jake to speak. Jake simply stood there, his mouth moving, but unable to form coherent speech. Suddenly he slumped over in the water, his head submerging, and Neytiri grabbed at his arms to hold him up. Jake quickly recovered and came bursting from the water, his wet mane of hair going everywhere and his unadulterated roar of jubilation reverberating off of the rocks. He once again grabbed Neytiri and picked her up and spun her around, their laughter mixing into a raucous din of joyous exultation. Jake put her down and then it was his turn to surprise her by crushing his lips to hers, she responded with fervent ardor, and the laughter still bubbling up from her chest echoing in between their connected mouths.

They both pulled away when they required air. Jake looked into her eyes with such obvious and raw happiness that Neytiri had to fight back tears of joy from welling up in her own eyes. Jake took a deep breath and finally found his voice "Neytiri, I don't think you understand how happy you've just made me, and just when I thought I couldn't love you more….." He swallowed "This is unbelievable". He leant forward and lightly kissed her before he pulled back, and a slight glint of uncertainty entered his eyes and his ears drooped a little bit. Neytiri's smile faltered and her own ears flattened against her skull.

"What's wrong, my Jake?" Jake looked down quickly before he continued. "Listen, Neytiri, you have to understand, this news, is almost literally unbelievable to me." She looked at him quizzically, her expression plainly indicating that wanted to know his explanation immediately. Jake smiled "There were two times in my life when I thought I would never have children of my own. Once was when I got the injury that made me unable to walk in my Tawtute body, and the other……." He hesitated "was when I transferred my soul into my dreamwalker body." Jake looked down at his last words. Neytiri was confused and didn't understand. Didn't Jake want to have children with her? She brought her hand to his chin and lifted it up so that his eyes met hers, and her look was tender but it was a little hurt and she begged him explain what he meant. Jake hesitated again and his eyes rove for a few moments before coming back to hers "Since my dreamwalker body was half Na'vi, half human, I was afraid my body wouldn't be compatible with yours, that it wouldn't work right, and that this meant that we couldn't have children."

Neytiri's happiness rekindled at the source of Jake's worries and as a result her smile reformed. Jake smiled in response. She took his hands in hers, and said in a resolute but tender voice "Jake, this is not science, our child is a direct gift from Eywa, he or she is a blessing from the Allmother." Jake smiled even wider at her words.

"Well they always say it's better to be lucky than good, and trust me" he reached down under the water and placed his hand on her stomach "I'm the luckiest guy in the whole goddamn galaxy" Neytiri smiled back at Jake and placed her hands over his.

Suddenly a look of fear crossed Jake's face for a moment "Holy shit" he muttered. Neytiri looked at him questioningly. Jake refocused on her and saw her look "Shit, Neytiri, I'm gonna be a father!" Jake smiled at the ramifications of his own words, but his eyes belied a small sense of worry.

Neytiri merely rolled her eyes, a gesture she had learned from Jake. He noticed this and his ears drooped a slightly and genuine concern showed in his eyes. Neytiri saw this and leant up and kissed him on the cheek, one hand on his other cheek and the other supporting the back of his head as she pulled away. "Jake, look at me." Jake stared directly into her eyes. She waited a few seconds before speaking "You will make a wonderful father." Jake opened his mouth as if to protest, but at a look from Neytiri, he merely shut his mouth. "Oel ngati kameie, Jake. I see your strong spirit and your loving heart and I see how well you are with the younglings, they love you and you are so gentle and caring for them, it is obvious that you possess a natural prowess for dealing with children, Jake."

Jake looked thoughtfully at the ground for a few moments for looking back up at Neytiri "I appreciate your kind word, Neytiri, but I'm still worried and just want to be an amazing father to our child." Jake then took her hand and began to walk back out of the water "C'mon, the suns goin' down and we go to get you out of the water before its gets too cold, probably not good for the baby." Neytiri smiled at his gesture and let herself be led from the water onto the shore.

Neytiri was ripped from her blissful reverie when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her mind was torn from that tranquil clearing back to the horrible reality of Moat's alcove, the terrible actuality of Jake laid out in front of her, barely alive. Neytiri turned around to find Moat leaning down close to her, her hand on Neytiri's shoulder. She looked imploringly at her daughter before she spoke "Come, daughter, you must move for a moment while the healers fix Jake's nose." Neytiri merely nodded and rose to move off to the side of the alcove. The three healers stood ready while Moat leaned down over Jake, she placed a hand on either side of Jake's mangled nose. She swallowed, took a breath and then with a sharp movement of her hand realigned Jake's nose. Neytiri held back a whimper at the resounding crack of cartilage and tissue that issued around the alcove. The three healers descended upon Jake, one holding his nose in place and implementing a splint, the other began to stitch the gash on his nose and the other began to tend to the deep gashes on Jake's legs.

Neytiri's merely waited, her eyes never leaving Jake's, as if she was expecting him to wake up any second.

Three hours later, Moat and the healers took a small break. Neytiri took this time to rush back to Jake's side, leaning down to kiss his lips once again. She let the contact linger, but was alarmed to find Jake's lips slightly cold. She pulled back and put her hand on Jake's chest, and held back tears as the heart that should be making her hand pulsate and rumble was now only barely reverberating around his chest enough for her to feel It in her hand.

Neytiri linked her smaller four-fingered hand into Jake's larger, five-fingered hand and stayed there, by his side, stroking his hair and whispering pleas of recovery to Jake and to Eywa, while the healers returned and began to bustle around her in a frantic whir, not daring to try and move her again, as they considered such an action as similar to trying to separate a Palulukan from its cub.


	3. Mourning Heart

A/N: So third chapter is up. Took a lot of wanton neglect towards my schoolwork to get this up here by tonight. Anyway, like Ive told some people, this story is going to be a long one, Ive already written an entire plot arc for the whole damn thing and it extends to at least 24 chapters, so I hope people like this because its going to keep going for a while. So, during the whole process of getting this story up here, I'd like to hear what people thought of it. Dream of Revenge is my first attempt ever at a fic, so I would appreciate all of the thoughts people are willing to give. I would love for people to leave reviews. I read them carefully. Let me know if you like it but if you hate it, be as scathing as you want to be in your criticism. I welcome it, it makes me a better writer. Anyway, I'll shut up now, here is the story.....

**Mourning Heart**

Neytiri struggled to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids fluttered under their own weight. She had been by Jake's side all day and on through the night, her hand never leaving Jake's. The healers had been able to heal most of Jake's external wounds, but Neytiri, even in her sorrowful trancelike state, had heard Moat express concern to the other healers about internal injuries. They had begun to search Jake's body for other injuries not so easily seen.

Early into the night, Tsu'tey had appeared in the doorway to Moat's alcove, his face showing no emotion as he observed the scene. Neytiri was lying down next to Jake's body, one hand linked with one of his, and the other on his chest. She lay there, staring directly at Jake's closed eyelids.

Moat and the other healers bustled about, their hands tending to Jake's now stitched torso. Moat looked up from her work to wipe her brow, and that is when she noticed Tsu'tey. She beckoned for him to come in. Tsu'tey bowed slightly and then strode quietly through the doorway. Moat continued to work on Jake's stitched areas, and with one hand she gestured for Tsu'tey to come crouch next to her. Tsu'tey did so and as he lowered his legs to the floor, his eyes rove the length of Jake's body and the extent of his injuries. Tsu'tey's eyes then landed on Neytiri, who lay next to Jake, her eyes never leaving Jake's face. Moat watched as Tsu'tey observed Neytiri, her eyes flicking back and forth between him and her daughter "Tsu,tey was Jakesully awake or conscious at all when you found him? Was there anybody around him?" Tsu'tey looked up and he looked into Moat's eyes. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Tsahik, when we found Jakesully, he was lying in a clearing in the forest, and he was not awake at all. He has been unconsciousness since we found him." Moat nodded. Tsu'tey then motioned to Jake's stitched torso "I am not a healer, Tsahik, but I think you would agree with me in that it is likely that these injuries were sustained in falling from an ikran at a very great height." Moat's eyes swept over the different injuries covering Jake's body and slightly nodded.

"I think you may be right, Tsu'tey, if he fell off over the clearing, then he had no chance to slow his fall with any nearby trees. He either must have fell from a relatively low height or Jakesully is tougher than we can imagine, as it is nothing short of amazing that he is alive." She shook her head lightly and reached out and ran a finger over the stitches covering Jake's stitches, giving them a slight tug to test their snug fitting. "He must have fallen from a great height though to sustain the kind of injuries he did, so the fact that he is not dead is quite astonishing." Tsu'tey nodded, and rose from his squatted position, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Tsahik, I think you have done enough tonight to help Jakesully, I think the matter is between him and Eywa now, and if he needs your help, he will need you to be alert and focused in order to do so and you can't be alert if you are as tired as you clearly are, Come." He held out his hand for her to take. "Go rest in Neytiri's hammock, I will watch over her and Jakesully." Moat opened her mouth to protest, her gaze turning to Jake's limp form with Neytiri's almost catatonic, trancelike gaze. Tsu'tey cut across her "I am young and do not need much sleep, and Jakesully needs you to be strong and watchful." He held his hands down to Moat, and she gave one more glance at her daughter before she took his hands and allowed him to lift her into a standing position. Once she was standing, she led Tsu'tey towards the alcove entrance. Tsu'tey followed. Moat looked at him and beckoned him closer so that she could whisper to him.

'Neytiri is taking this very hard, I need you to try to get her to get some sleep, as she needs to be focused, she needs to be able to face the truth with some sense and energy." Tsu'tey looked over at Neytiri, a sigh escaping him as he took in her state of sorrow. "Tsu'tey, I will go now, but please see what you can do, maybe she will listen to you." Moat then turned and left the alcove, making her way along the branches of Hometree and Tsu'tey could hear her mumbling a prayer to Eywa as she departed.

Tsu'tey turned to Neytiri, and took a deep breath before walking over to her. He stood opposite of her and crouched down again, staring at her over Jake's body. His eyes moved around as he searched for the words to say to her, for he knew nothing he could say would make her move. "Neytiri……you need to get some rest, you have been awake and by Jakesully's side for a day and a half now, you need to sleep sometime." Neytiri made no motion or sign that indicated that she had heard him. Tsu'tey sighed before continuing. "Neytiri, if you will not do it for yourself, then do it for Jakesully." At these words, Neytiri's eyes flicked from Jake's to Tsu'teys'. He continued to talk while he had her attention. "You need to sleep so that if Moat needs you to help her tend to Jakesully, then you will be able to, like your mother, you will be of no help to him if you are not alert and focused. He needs you Neytiri, and he would not want you to be risking your health like this." Neytiri only looked at him, her eyes distant and red rimmed. Tsu'tey swallowed before saying the next words, as he knew he was touching on a sensitive subject. "And Neytiri, you are not only risking your wellness by not sleeping, but that of your childs'." At his words, Neytiri's hands left Jake's face and chest and gently swept over her stomach, resting on the small bump that had formed there. A few tears escaped her eyes and they ran down her cheek and nose and fell to the floor.

Tsu'tey stood up and walked around Jake's body and stood over her. He bent over and held his hand out to her. She looked up at him, her hands still on her stomach. He nodded upwards, indicating that she should take his hand and get up. "I am not going to make you leave, I am merely going to lead you over to the moss bedding in the corner, where you can get some sleep, Jake will be right here, and I will stand guard over him myself." Neytiri gave slight nod and reached out with both hands and took Tsu'tey's hands. He lifted her up and steadied her as she wobbled a little bit. He led her to the corner of the room, where there was a small pile of moss that served as a bed. She looked back over her shoulder at Jake's body and then lowered herself onto the bed. Tsu'tey took a small flask from his side pouch and pulled out the wood stopper. He held it out to her. She looked at him questioningly, her brows raised. "It is water mixed with a small sleeping draught, it will help you through the night, or what's left of it." Neytiri simply took the flask from Tsu'tey and took a swig. She handed it back to Tsu;tey who stoppered it and put it back in his side pouch.

Neytiri laid her head back onto the bedding and closed her eyes, and it seemed that all the exhaustion had caught up to her. She opened one eye and tilted her head slightly to look at Jake one more time before she closed her eyes and let the draught take its effect. Tsu'tey watched her carefully. She was asleep within minutes. He noted her even breathing and the slight rise and fall of her chest. Combined with her exhaustion, the effects of the Ki'gwa berries mixed into the draught were sure to keep her out for at least until tomorrow afternoon. He rose from his bent posture next to Neytiri's sleeping form and strode silently over until he was looming over Jake's limp body. He stood there for several minutes, observing Jake's shallow breathing before turning and walking out of the alcove.

Neytiri shot awake, her limbs flailing at the moss under her, struggling to find purchase in the soft material. Her head swiveled in all directions as she struggled to take in her surroundings. She sat up and looked around. She was alone in the alcove, her mother and Tsu'tey nowhere in sight. She put a hand to her head, as if willing the mental fog that clouded her thoughts to vanish. She remembered the sleeping draught Tsu'tey gave her, she had fallen asleep almost instantly. Though her thoughts were murky and her head hurt slightly, she felt well rested. She grimly mused to herself that maybe her mother and Tsu'tey were right, that she needed sleep in order to be able to help Jake. Then she realized it. Jake was not in the room with her, his body nowhere in sight.

She leapt up from the bed and ran over to where he had lain. She only saw the pad he had lay upon and a few extra bandages lying around. Her mind raced and fear began to creep into her thoughts. Why had they taken him? Was he better? Had he left with them? Was he awake? Was he……….No, she would not think that, he couldn't be. She had to find him.

Neytiri tears from the alcove, cursing herself for ever leaving his side, sleep or not. She is only slowed down slightly as the bright afternoon sunlight assaults her vision. She puts her hand up to shield her eyes before she winds her away from the trunk of Hometree, out onto the platform that lead to the central root. She descended the central path rapidly, stopping about halfway down to follow it to one of the lower platforms. Her heart pounded as she came to the edge of the platform. She saw her mother, Tsu'tey and Odo'khal all standing in the middle of the clearing, standing close together as if talking to each other.

Neytiri ran back to the central root and descended to the base of Hometree. Three taronyu sat at a cooking fire at the base of Hometree, and upon seeing her, they rose and all made gestures of acknowledgement. It was Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut. She stopped at their gestures and took in their appearance. All three were stone faced, with their ears lowered to their skulls. Dharga stood forward, and stopped in a slight bow. "Oel ngati kameie, Princess Neytiri." His voice was gravelly and he struggled with his words.

Neytiri merely nodded. She turned back to the clearing and saw Odo'khl and Tsu;tey standing together off to the side while Moat looked at something upon the ground and moved around it, speaking in a soft but firm voice. Neytiri began to walk over to the scene, her eyes taking in Odo'khal's giant frame, tense and unmoving. She caught a few words of Moat's soft chanting.

"Go now with Eywa, ma tsmukan, she will guide you home, and rest in the memory of the People. Do not stray, for Eywa will provide."

Neytiri broke into a run at the sound of these words. A funerary chant.

Upon hearing her footsteps, Odo'khal turns and sees her running towards them. He holds out his massive hands and motion for her to stop.

"Princess Neytiri, don't……". His deep voice was broken and he weakly struggled to find his words.

As Odo'khal turned around, Neytiri caught sight of a blue form lying upon a flat stone platform, upraised from the ground upon a larger stone. She caught sight of Moat lifting one large, five fingered hand into her own and raising it to the sky in a gesture of leading the body towards Eywa. Neytiri's heart clenched, and a scream tore from her throat, like the sound of a dying animal

"NO!" Neytiri pushed past Odo'khal and Tsu'tey as she ran up to the stone altar. Moat looked at her from across the stone platform, but Neytiri took no notice. There, upon the altar, lay Jake.

Neytiri jumps on top of the altar and grabs Jake's hand, her other hand pounding on Jake's chest. "Jake! My Jake! Wake up! You have to get up! You are Toruk Makto! Jake, you must wake up! Jake, please. "

Neytiri's screams ripped through the clearing as she beat upon Jake's chest and pleaded with him. Neither Tsu'tey nor Odo'khal moved to stop Neytiri and when Moat moved forward to do so, Odo'khla gently grabbed her by the arm and shook his head. Moat looked about to protest but upon seeing her daughters grief stricken face, she relented and stepped back.

Neytiri collapsed upon Jake's chest, her hand still feebly beating on Jake's body, willing him to awaken and stop her, willing his chest to rise and fall again. Tears poured from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably against Jake's neck. She brought her head up to look into his face. His features were strangely calm and his eyelids stay shut, never to open again.

Neytiri's mind reeled. She would never see Jake alive again, she had lost him. She would never feel his embrace again, that of his strong arms encircling her or the love that he conveyed to her when they formed tsayhalu. At this thought, Neytiri rolled onto her side, and she reached for Jake's hand. She raised his limp arm and placed it upon her stomach.

She flinched slightly as the cold skin of Jake's lifeless body touched her warm stomach. Neytiri's heart broke as she realized that the child growing inside of her would never know their father, they would never feel his touch or know his love. The child would grow up to be the next Tsahik or olo'eyktan, and they would grow up hearing stories of their father's deeds, the legendary Toruk Makto, but never hearing them from Jake, only from others.

Neytiri would raise their child, and she would love their son or daughter, but she would never heal from this. She would be half a person for the rest of her life, her child being the only happiness in her world. She would give her child all the love she could, for Jake. Neytiri's mind reeled in agony at just the thought of never waking up next to Jake ever again, no more feeling his chest rise and fall evenly under her head as she slept, no more watching him sleep, no more waking up to his daily "I love you" and his warm gaze.

No more was their life together, with the long expanse of years lying in front of them. Now she was alone.

There is no going back from this, she told herself as she lay there upon the stone altar, her hands roaming Jake's cold body. She raised her body off of Jake's and slid up to loom over Jake's face. She broke into more sobs as she noticed that his luminescent spots had faded to almost blackness. She lowered her lips to his. His lips were cold and lifeless.

Neytiri raised herself off of Jake and slid off the altar. Her shoulders shook as she continued to sob but her breath caught in her throat as her heart clenched in raw anguish. She couldn't say goodbye. She gave one last look over her shoulder at Jake's body lying upon the stone altar before running from the clearing into the forest. Odo'khal quietly slips from the clearing to follow her, to make sure she doesn't get hurt.

Moat watched as Odo'khal silently trotted off after her daughter. She knew that Odo'khal had been Jakesully good friend, and she knew that Odo'khal was taking his death very hard, even if he didn't show it. She also knew that Odo'khal, as a dutiful servant of his olo'eyktan and as a personal favor to Jakesully's memory, would look after Neytiri and her unborn child. Now Moat knew why Jakesully had held Odo'khal in such high regards. Odo'khal had probably been Jake's best friend besides Neytiri. She was shaken from her thoughts by Tsu'tey's voice. She turned to find Tsu'tey facing her, his eyes moving between her and Jake's body

"Tsahik, the Omaticaya have suffered a terrible tragedy." He paused as he looked at Jake's unmoving form. "To have Toruk Makto taken from us far before his time grieves me." He turned to look at her. "Jakesully and I would have never been friends, but he was Toruk Makto, a mighty warrior, and he was one of the People, as………ma tsmukan". Tus'tey's voice cracked slightly as he said these last words but he quickly regained his composure and he looked down at the ground. Moat reached out and put a hand upon his shoulder.

"Son of the Omaticaya, what has happened today is tragic and sorrow burdens my heart. To have two olo'eyktan's taken from us in so little a time…………" She paused and looked over at Jake's body. She then turned back to Tsu'tey "Jakesully was a mighty spirit, and though he was part tawtute, his heart lay with the Na'vi, with my daughter, and I think he resides with Eywa now."

Tsu'tey's face flinched involuntarily at Moat's words but he recovered quickly, staring at her with little emotion betrayed from his eyes. "Tsahik, I will gather twenty of the Omaticaya's best warriors and we will personally attend to Jake's body, to prepare him for his journey back to Old Hometree." Moat eyes clouded slightly as Tsu'tey said this. He continued after pausing slightly at the look in her eyes. "We will bury him beside Eytukan, and the two great olo'eyktans will rest side by side".

Moat nodded at Tsu'tey, her thoughts churning from the combined tragedy of Jake's death and the memory of her mate, Eytukan. Both men had been very powerful warriors and strong spirits, it seemed only fitting that they rested together in Eywa's embrace, watching over the Omaticaya. Moat nodded at Tsu'tey to begin the burial preparations, as it was customary of the Omaticaya for the deceased olo'eyktan's best warriors to hand prepare his body for burial upon his death. Tsu'tey bows to Moat as she walks past him to stand at the altar. She places one hand on Jake's cold chest and the other on his forehead.

"Goodbye, Jakesully, may you rest with Eywa………………you will not be forgotten, Toruk Makto."

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A/N: Do people want me to leave Na'vi translations? Leave me a review and tell me? Let me know what you think of the story............


	4. Little Dreamer

A/N: So, fourth chapter up. God, my professors hate me right now. Anyway, hope everyone is liking the story, this chapter was a little weird to write, not sure why. I hope it came out ok, its not my best, but just like some of the readers, I'm anxious to get to the good parts. So, if you like it review, of you hate it, review, either way, review. Hate it or love it, heres chapter 4.

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**Little Dreamer**

Neytiri lay in the boughs of a tree, her body stretched upon the length of a thick branch. She lay there, her gaze turned to the evening sky, where Polyphemus's colossal form hung, tinged blood red by the dying light.

A few stars began to twinkle in the evening redness, their light stretching across the vast reaches of space to illuminate some alien sky. Any beauty they possessed was lost on Neytiri, whose gaze was unfocused and her senses numb. The world around her slowly faded into a throbbing, formless source of noise and feeling. She was completely lost inside of her own mind, her grief paralyzing her.

She had been in hysterics at first sight of Jake's body, but now reality was sinking in and she was slowly slipping into emotional shock. She had no idea how she was going to live a long life without Jake by her side, watching their son or daughter grow up, comforting her, loving her.

Neytiri's hands rubbed soft, slow circles across her stomach, her hands trying to convey comfort to her unborn child, while her mind reeled in the throes anguish, with each passing moment being a fresh reminder of Jake's now permanent absence.

A wind blew up from the south and whipped Neytiri's long braids about her face, and dried her cheeks, which had long tear streaks running down each side. However, the wind only caused her to break into fresh tears as she remembered Jake explaining to her one time how he loved the wind whipping in his face because it reminded him of flying on his ikran or toruk.

Though her body was incapable of laughing, her mind felt some glimmer of glee as she remembered Jake pantomiming flying on the toruk to several small younglings, his arms outstretched and a ridiculous noise coming from his mouth. The children had laughed with glee at his antics, and Jake had laughed with them.

Neytiri had mockingly accused him that afternoon of being a youngling, a child. He had merely given her a roguish smile and said "A child, am I? Well, if I was a child then how would I do this?" He had swooped in and planted a rough kiss on her lips. She had hungrily responded.

Neytiri's heart sank into her chest as she realized that so much would be missing from her life now that Jake's passion and exuberance were no longer a part of it. Even though it had only been a little over a year since Jake had walked into her world, her throat literally constricted at the thought of living without him. A loud sob tore from her throat, the last of her breath leaving with it, and she was left breathing heavily and noisily, as her body tried to regain control of her grief stricken form.

There was a noise below her. Even in her sorrowful state, she realized she needed to be mindful for predators. She slowly looked over the edge of the branch, to see Odo'khal leaning his massive frame against the trunk of the tree, his head almost touching the lower branches , a good sixteen feet off the ground. He was looking up at her branch.

She noticed for the first time that Odo'khal's face was lined with sorrow and that his eyes were red-rimmed. Neytiri then realized that she was not the only one grieving Jake's loss. Neytiri finally found words but her voice came out slightly strangled and broken.

"Odo, what are you doing here?" A look of pain flashed across Odo'khal's eyes as she called him by Jake's nickname for him.

Upon first meeting Jake, Odo'khal had told the dreamwalker his name one day when they were practicing climbing together. They had been both having trouble, Jake because he was awkward and unused to his new body, while Odo'khal was simply too big to move through the thick branches. When Jake had heard Odo'khal's name, Jake looked at him in confusion. Odo'khal had understood and repeated his name, but received the same look of confusion. He repeated his name for a third time, and Jake had sighed, shrugged his shoulders and said "Odo".

Odo'khal had been about to protest, when Jake had interrupted him and motioned for him to come closer. Odo'khal bent down to Jake's level. "Man, this climbing practice is bullshit, I see a cooking fire over there, let's go see if they have any fresh yerik legs, I'm starving." He had smiled at Jake's words and they began to walk over to the fire, when a harsh voice had descended out of Hometree.

"Jake, you skxawng! Did I say you could stop climbing?!" Jake stopped in his tracks and his head hung low

"Shit" he muttered under his breath.

Neytiri's angry form descended from the lower boughs of Hometree and she strode quickly across to where JaKe and Odo'khal stood. Jake saw her coming and held up his hands in a placating, calming gesture. Odo'khal had winced, even with his size, he knew Princess Neytiri to be a veritable ball of seething rage at times.

"C'mon Neytiri, we were just taking a little break, just to get some food. No harm done, right?" Jake's words only angered Neytiri more, as they seemed to her the wheedling and pleading of a mewling child. She whipped her bow from where it was strung across her back and began to lightly whip Jake in the back with it, his yelps of pain humorous to those watching the scene.

"Skxawng, get back up that tree! You can't be taking a break from your work, if you have actually made no progress in it!" Jake had taken off and begun to climb at a rate of speed Odo'khal wouldn't have thought possible considering Jake's apparent awkwardness. Jake had merely shouted over his shoulder as he began to climb.

"Im goin' already, put that whip away. I'll meet you at the ikran roost in twenty minutes……..oh shit you don't know what a minute is, do you? Damn." Both Neytiri and Odo'khal had stared at him in confusion. "Nevermind, I'll be there shortly, even though I'm sure you will catch up to me and beat me there. Oh well." Jake had stopped climbing and looked over his shoulder. "Hey Odo, I'll see you later, man."

At hearing the nickname, Neytiri had looked at Odo'khal questioningly. Odo'khal merely shook his head "Jake can't get my name right, so he shortened it I guess to make it easier to remember. It makes sense. He is trying to learn an entirely new tongue, while memorizing everyone's names. I'll let it pass."

Neytiri merely nodded and then made a gesture of farewell and then took off up the trunk off Hometree after Jake.

"Odo…?" Odo'khal was moved from his reverie by Neytiri's broken, questioning tone. He realized he had looked away, into the trees. He looked back up at her.

"Princess Neytiri, you should come down and come back to Hometree, it is getting late, and you know the most predators are out at first nightfall." He held out his hand and waved it in a motion for her to come down. "And…" Odo'khal began, unsure of whether to continue, but he knew it had to be said. "You must come get some rest, it will be a long journey back to Old Hometree tomorrow, you will need all of your strength for it when we lay…." Odo'khal looked down at his feet, unable to say anymore.

Unfortunately, Neytiri knew exactly what he was talking about. Tomorrow they would fly Jake's body back to Old Hometree for him to be buried beside her father.

Neytiri turned her eyes back up and took in the gathering darkness, the time right before the forest lit up with its radiant bioluminescence. A few silent tears escaped her eyes and she sighed heavily before moving to leap down to the next branch below her.

Odo'khal stepped aside and cleared a space for to land when she jumped down. She leapt from a low branch to the ground with ease. Her body could still guide her through her forest home while her mind was elsewhere, lost in the realms of grief and sorrow. She wobbled slightly as she landed on the ground. Odo'khal gently grabbed her arm to steady her.

Neytiri looked up into Odo'khal's giant green eyes. They saw the grief in each other's eyes. One had lost a friend, one had lost her life. Neytiri looked at him questioningly.

"Odo, you still didn't tell me why you came?" Odo'khal looked up into the branches of the trees far above and a sigh escaped his cavernous chest before he looked back down at her.

"Neytiri, Jake was my true friend. Even though me and you grew up together, me and Jake trained together, when he wasn't with you. Though I am one of the People, Jake never looked at me any different because of my stature, he just considered me a friend right from the beginning. Jake and I became taronyu together. Jake trusted me as no one else has, he was a true friend, and now he is gone." Odo'khal took another enormous breath and then let out another sigh before continuing.

"So, I must honor his memory and make sure that the two things he valued most in this world" He gestured to Neytiri. "His mate and his unborn child, never come to any harm, while I have strength left in my limbs and breath in my body." Neytiri looked up at Odo'khal with sadness, but a slight nod of her head sent a silent "thank you" to him, and they both understood.

Odo'khal merely bowed and held his massive arm up in the direction back to Hometree, indicating that she should go first. Neytiri began to walk back, Odo'khal several paces behind her.

They walked back in silence, both surrendering their thoughts to the impending darkness that descended upon the forest. Around them, the forest began to light up with the radiant glow of all the plant life. Neytiri let a small smile slip as she reminisced on how Jake had never ceased to be amazed by it every night. Odo'khal's voice interrupted her thoughts as it came booming from behind her.

"You know, Princess Neytiri, I've never told this to another person before, as Jake had feared it would be considered unceremonial or out of place, but he let me ride with him on the toruk once."

Neytiri stopped in her tracks, and whipped around, her face still lined with grief but clearly Odo'khal's proclamation had surprised her, and it showed. She opened her mouth to question him, only a few words falling from her astonished lips.

"What? How…..?" Odo'khal merely chuckled at her response.

"Well, as you know, I am one of the few taronyu in Omaticaya history who have never bonded with an ikran, simply because there is no ikran big enough to carry me." Odo'khal gestured his hands out in a wide gesture, trying to convey the size an ikran would need to be to carry his massive bulk into the skies. Neytiri nodded, remembering the controversy well.

Moat had sympathized with Odo'khal and had comforted him, telling him semi-jokingly that maybe he would be next Toruk Makto, just because of his size. Odo'khal, being the good-natured giant that he was, had merely laughed uproariously at her joke. Odo'khal began to walk again, and Neytiri followed. He continued.

"Well, when Jake became Toruk Makto, the day after the victory celebration, right before he let the toruk go, he bade me climb up on its back with him." Neytiri, looking slightly puzzled at the image of Jake, in tsayhalu with the toruk, and the giant, Odo'khal holding onto whatever he could as they soared through the skies.

"Nobody saw us." He supplied, seeing her look of confusion. "Once again, Jake provided me with an opportunity I would not have had otherwise. I had never known what it was like to fly, but because of Jake, I know what it was like to ride on the mighty toruk."

Odo'khal gently wiped a hand across his eyes, wiping away a lonely tear that had escaped. Neytiri looked away, a slight smile playing on her lips. For all his brute strength and massive size, Odo'khal had a heart as soft as moss.

They continued to walk in silence. As they walked, Neytiri turned to Odo'khal. He looked at her. "Thank you, Odo, for telling me that story about Jake." Odo'khal nodded at her, as they continued to walk. "That story showed how much my Jake affected all of us in the short time that he was with us." Neytiri looked down at the ground as she walked. Odo'khal merely looked ahead and they continued to walk in silence.

Soon, they entered the clearing at the edge of the forest and they saw the flames of the cooking fires. Many Omaticaya were away from the fires and gathered around the stone altar, where Jake's body still lay. A cloth had been laid under his body, and in the morning, the cloth would be tied around him, to protect his body for the flight back to Old Hometree.

Neytiri spots her mother and Tsu'tey sitting at a cooking fire off to the side of the crowd, their faces illuminated in the dancing light of the flames. Neytiri moves towards their fire and vaguely notices that Odo'khal follows her. She turns to face him, but Odo'khal merely waves his hand forward, gesturing for her to keep walking. "Tsahik will want to see you about tomorrow, you must go speak with her."

Neytiri turned and walked the rest of the way over to the cooking fire. She took a seat at the fire opposite of Moat and Tsu'tey. Moat's eyes glimmered with unshed tears, while Tsu'tey's eyes betrayed no emotion at all. Neytiri stared ahead, her eyes never flickering between the two. Moat gave a small sigh and began to speak

"My daughter, nothing I can say will ease the pain of what has happened today. Nothing I can do will change that. I only wish to help you through your sorrow and grief, as someone who has experienced your pain themselves." Neytiri's eyes flicked to her mothers, a bubble of realization building inside of her. She had been too consumed in her own grief to realize her mother knew all too well what she was feeling, as they had lost Eytukan during the battle.

Neytiri's eyes softened as she looked upon her mother, and in that moment, their grief was shared and they both took on each other's sorrowful burdens. Moat put her hands up, gesturing to the sky above as she spoke.

"My daughter, though Jake may now rest in Eywa's embrace, with my Eytukan, you have parts of him in you." Neytiri looked slightly confused by this, and Moat continued. "Jake, as your mate, will have put a part of himself in you, in your mind, through tsayhalu, and it will remain with you for the rest of your life."

Without thinking, Neytiri reached behind her and fondled her braid, her thoughts turning to the feelings Jake gave her in the times they made tsayhalu. Moat was right; she could hear Jake's voice in her mind, telling her what to do, as if it was his own intuition.

Moat noted her daughter's look of concentration and was relieved to see some sort of small smile form on her features. Then Neytiri put her hands on her stomach, and rubbed them in small circles. She looked up at her mother.

"Mother, I think you are right, and I hope this child looks more like Jake, so that it will remind me every day of him. I know I will never heal from this, but I thank you for your wise words." Moat stands and moves to embrace her daughter.

Odo'khal notices this and stands. He reaches out and grabs Tsu'tey by the arm and lifts him up bodily. Tsu'tey lightly protests but Odo'khal cuts across him. "Come Tsu'tey we will go get something to eat."

Neytiri stood and embraced her mother, both of them breaking into silent years and they shared their grief with each other. They stood like that for several minutes. As they pulled apart, Moat puts her hands on her daughters cheeks. "I'm so sorry daughter, Jakesully was a good man, and a mighty warrior."

Neytiri's lip trembled at her mother's words. Moat continued. "He would have made an excellent and loving father." Neytiri silently nodded.

Moat grabbed Neytiri's upper arm and started to walk away from the fire, trying to get Neytiri to follow her. Neytiri resisted and when her mother turned to look at her, she shook her head. Moat started to protest, but then stopped and nodded. Moat let go of Neytiri's arm and walked off.

Neytiri stood by the fire for some time, staring into the flames, and then as the night wore on, the flames became dying embers, and the lights of the forest began to overtake the clearing. Neytiri turned to look at the clearing.

She hadn't noticed the crowd surrounding the altar had vanished and the camp was silent. Neytiri turned and strode over to the altar. She took her hand and ran it the length of Jake's side and she walked the length of the altar. Then she turned around and walked back until she was looking down at his face. She took a hand a brushed the pad of her thumb across his cheek.

Neytiri then climbed up onto the altar and positioned herself against Jake's side, his cold body causing her to shudder as it came into contact with her warm body. His body was not completely devoid of warmth though. It was not the stone cold feel of the long dead. Some energy still remained in his lifeless form. She could tell from her time with her mother, training to be Tsahik, where she had seen and worked with many deceased Na'vi, especially after the battle.

This thought caused Neytiri to wonder. What if……….no it was impossible, but….if…..she formed tsayhalu with Jake now, what would happen? Would she feel anything? Would there be shrouds of memory? Sensations?

Neytiri reached behind her with one hand for her braid and then reached for Jake's before she stopped herself and she realizes that she must face the fact that Jake is truly gone and that trying to form tsayhalu will only cause her more pain. A few tears escaped her eyes as she caressed Jake's cheek.

"My Jake, I miss you so, so much."

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A/N:Hope you guys liked it. Ive gotten a couple of reviews about how brutal and sad this story is, and yeah right now it is, but keep reading. Thats all im going to say, things might change, take an unexpected turn you know? Anway, thanks for reading and review please! It makes me a better writer.


	5. The Longest Journey

A/N: I really want to get some of my chapters out before the academic hammer drops this week, so here is chapter 5 to tide you over until the next chapter, which is a monster by the way, really long, but really awesome too. Have fun.....

Disclaimer: If I claimed I owned Avatar, James Cameron would crap on me from such a height, I would think it was God himself dumping on me. So, needless to say, I dont own Avatar, at all, none of it. I just used preexisting, copyrighted characters in my own way and added them to characters of my own creation. I get nothing from this. I'm glad James Cameron owns Avatar, because there is no way in hell that I could come up with something that brilliant. The mans a genius.

**The Longest Journey**

Neytiri settled herself on the back of her ikran, Swizaw, holding tight as she reigned in her impatient ikran.

"Mawey, Swizaw, the time to fly is coming." Neytiri calmed her ikran by stroking its back. The animal relaxed at the contact, but she was anxious to get off the ground, as she could sense her rider's sorrow and uneasiness. Neytiri could not help but convey her grief through tsayhalu, but she did try to bask in the ikran's wild sensations and instincts to clear her mind of her burden. Neytiri reached down and tightened her riding straps before looking up.

She looked out over the assembled group of ikran that stood in the forest clearing at the base of Hometree, where six taronyu, and the Omaticaya's best warriors are sitting on their ikrans, waiting for the signal, the rising sun. The six taronyu, are all equipped with special harnesses for their ikrans, and the harnesses attach to central ropes running from each ikran to attach to a middle harness.

Neytiri looked down at the middle harness, where in the harness, wrapped in a cloth sack, lay her Jake. She had to turn away from the sight, resulting in a powerful wave of unadulterated anguish washing over her, which translated into her ikran through the bond, and Swizaw gave a hop and an uneasy growl.

Jake would be flown, suspended in the harness, between six ikran, to Old Hometree. The ropes were long enough so that ikran would not be bumping into one another, and Jake's body would be carried in the middle of a circular formation.

They would ride on through the day to Old Hometree, as it took most of the day to get there. The flight would be long and arduous, only being able to stop at a suitable clearing with Jake's body being situated in the massive sling, though hopefully with six ikran carrying it, they would be able to distribute the weight evenly, so as to prevent exhaustion.

Neytiri watched as her mother, dressed in Tsahik ceremonial garb, mounted her own ikran, one that she rarely flew anymore. The ikran gave a small bellow of consternation before Moat formed tsayhalu with it. Moat looked up once she was situated, and saw her daughter staring at her. Moat shot Neytiri a look of sympathy and consolation, but it did little to heal the look of desperation on Neytiri's face.

Moat sighed. Neytiri would be forced to ride alongside the body of her beloved all day, and come the setting of the sun, she would have to say her farewells, when they laid Jake to rest, beside Eytukan, forever.

Then above the whole assembly, came the blast of a horn of a sentry high up in Hometree, the note signaling the rising of the sun above the trees.

There was a great din of flapping, leathery wings as the mass of ikran took off as one. Six taronyu bore Jake's body, while Moat and Neytiri lingered off to the side, and four more warriors provided a guard that flew behind. Ten more warriors including Odo'khal had departed on Fa'li in the middle of the night, so as to make it to Old Hometree by dusk.

Neytiri felt some of the worry and grief wash away from her as she flew above the trees. As they rose into the air, her mind calmed and her huntress instincts took over, forming the seamless bond with Swizaw. As they broke the cover of the massive boughs of Hometree, Neytiri was forced to shield her eyes slightly, the first rays of the dawn shooting off like spires of fire above the distant horizon.

The procession flew as one, riding away from the sun, away from the plains and the sea, back into the depths of the forest, back to Old Hometree.

Swizaw gave a contented squawk as she banked lazily to the left. Neytiri smiled slightly. Even through tsayhalu, there was no way for Swizaw to know that Neytiri was irreparably heartbroken, and Neytiri buried her grief deep inside herself and concentrated on flying, trying to avoid looking at the sling which carried her Jake.

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The flight lasted most of the day, and all were thankful when the vast, fallen, trunk of Old Hometree had come into view. They had pushed on without taking a single break and their ikrans were exhausted.

As they flew over the site of Old Homtree, everyone present gave a small gesture of remembrance and respect, as the place had once been their hallowed and sacred home. They heard several whoops and calls from down below and Neytiri looked down to see Odo'khal and the other nine warriors waving up at them.

They circled three times before finding a suitable place to land amongst a clearing near the base of the trunk. Nearby was the burial site, which Odo'khal and the warriors had already prepared. The warriors sat gathered around it, awaiting the arrival of the Tsahik and Jake's body.

Neytiri dismounted from her ikran, disconnected from tsayhalu, and swatted her ikran on the back. Swizaw gave a surprised shriek and flew off into the cover of the nearby trees at the edge of the lake. She turned to face the rest of the assembled hunters, two of whom were chasing off the ikran into the skies, while four others were lifting Jake's cloth covered body from the harness, handling it delicately and then under Moat's direction, taking it over to the burial area.

Moat observed her daughter with worried glances. Neytiri merely stood there, in the middle of the clearing, watching the taronyu as they carried Jake's body to the burial site. Neytiri looked so alone, and so lost. Moat knows she must stay strong for Neytiri, and must do her duty as Tsahik and give her olo'eyktan, her daughter's mate, and Toruk Makto the respect his funerary ceremony deserves.

Suddenly, a loud screech rung out across the clearing and all those gathered looked up to see Tsu'tey descending from the sky on his ikran. He landed and dismounted swiftly, his ikran hissing at the other Na'vi and then taking off to join its brethren in the trees.

Tsu'tey stepped forwards to Moat "Oel ngati kameie, Tsahik" Moat nodded at his gesture. Tsu'tey then turned to Neytiri "Oel ngati kameie, Neytiri." Neytiri only mouthed several words, but nothing came out.

Tsu'tey seemed to understand as he stepped forward and bowed to her before continuing. "Neytiri, I can't make Jakesully's passing any easier, but I can assure you that he was a fine warrior, and would have made a wise olo'eyktan." Neytiri nods at Tsu'tey's words, before turning from the assembly and walking out towards the lake.

Odo'khal watched Tsu'tey as he stared after Neytiri's disappearing form. Odo'khal called over to Tsu'tey, successfully diverting his attention. "Tsu'tey, why did you come? Don't you have to look after the Kllyteka? Who is in charge of them, if you are not?"

Tsu'tey's face broke into a slight frown at Odo'khal's barrage of questions, but he was quick and had a response ready. "Odo'khal, I have taken care of the Kllyteka brethren, they remain on the lakeshore, waiting on my return."

Odo'khal looked substantially unsatisfied by Tsu'tey's answer but did not pursue an argument. He merely turned away and returned to preparing the grave site for its occupant.

As the evening went on, and the sun became lower in the fiery red sky, the assembled gathering lay waiting for Neytiri's return to the clearing. Odo'khal had found her on the lakeshore and she had assured him she would be returning shortly.

Moat looked worriedly at the sun as it dipped closer to the horizon, and just when she was about to send Odo'khal back out after Neytiri, Neytiri appeared out of the gloom of dusk at her mother's side.

Moat reached out and pulled her daughter into a hug, but Neytiri did not respond to the gesture, her arms stiff at her side and her eyes unmoving.

Upon seeing Neytiri's arrival, Odo'khal had walked over to the cloth sack that contained Jake's body and he undid the ties that held it together. He unraveled the swaths of cloth and put them off to the side.

Jake's face looked back at him, his eyes closed, unseeing. Odo'khal put his massive hand to Jake's chest and muttered under his breath "We'll meet again, Jake. Go. Rest." Odo'khal turned as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. It was Neytiri. She looked down at Odo'khal with glimmering eyes.

Odo'khal nodded and stood to leave her alone with Jake, and he noticed that the others lingered across the clearing, everyone wanting to give Neytiri her private farewell to Jake.

Neytiri got down on her knees next to Jake's body, her hands immediately cupping his face. Tears traced their way down the contours of her face to spill onto the ground as she spoke in a soft and quavering voice.

"Jake, if you must truly go, then I cannot stop you. If your passing is the will of Eywa, then so be it. I will carry your memory with me always, Jake. There is no way to forget you, my love. I will do my best to raise our child, and I will tell them stories of their father as they grow. And as I grow older, I will look forward to the day when Eywa calls me to her, and I will walk with you again, my Jake. I see you, Jake……I love you."

At these last words, Neytiri bends down and kisses each one of Jake's closed eyelids in turn. She then rises and looks to the sky, and notices the sun is dipping very low in the horizon.

Moat notices too and calls the warriors over to lift Jake into the freshly dug burial hole. Odo'khal merely sweeps them aside, bending down over Jake's body and retying the cloth sack about his body, before lifting him gently into his massive arms and stooping low over the pit, placing him softly on the soft soil on the bottom of the hole.

Odo'khal stands to move out of the way, and Moat takes his position at the side of the grave. Very much in the role of Tsahik, Maot begins to chant prayers and pleas to Eywa, as the warriors stand off to the side, heads bowed in respect and reverence.

"Eywa, receive your son, though he may be of tawtute birth, he is one of the People, and of Na'vi blood. There are many people saddened by his passing, but we submit ourselves to your will, and accept that Jakesully will reside in your embrace and in our memories. "

As Moat said her final words, she brought her hands down and reached into a sack about her neck, where she withdrew a single atokirina. She leans down and places it upon the cloth sack, letting it float from her hands and out over Jake's body. Moat stood back up and gave a slight nod to Odo'khal, who was standing by.

Neytiri could only watch helplessly as Odo'khal deposited dirt back onto the sack containing Jake's body, forever obscuring him from her view. It was finally happening. At some point in her grief, Neytiri had realized that this was not some horrible dream, but she still had staved off the crushing reality until this point, when they were burying him………next to her father.

In that moment, Neytiri stood there, on the edge of her mate's grave, her eyes leaking tears, that she realized that all the men important in her life were gone, dead. Her father's passing had been terrible enough, but now Jake………….

Neytiri realized then that she was staring at a fresh mound of upturned dirt, and that the burying was complete. The warriors had begun to shuffle back into the clearing, calling their ikrans to them. Neytiri's heart froze and her breath was lost in her throat. That was it. He was finally, truly gone.

Moat walked over and gave her daughter one reassuring sqeeuze on her shoulder, and just as she expected, she received no response. At this, she walked away, shaking her head before calling her ikran.

The ikran came swooping out of the trees, eagerly responding to their master's calls. The ikran had hunted and rested all afternoon, so now they were ready to fly once again. The trip back to Hometree would be split into two days, and they would make camp at Ayvitrayä Ramunong.

As the hunters prepared their ikran for departure and Odo'khal and the other warriors prepared for departure on the pa'li, Neytiri watched as the sun's last light died. The darkness began to gather and she heard her ikran land close behind her.

Neytiri reached up around her neck and undid a necklace she always wore there. It was a necklace made from shells, bones and feathers. She had had it since she was a child. She separated it from her larger necklace, and held it out in front of her. She then bent down and placed it upon the mound of dirt that marked Jake's final resting place.

She stood back up, her eyes still fixed upon the grave and she let a lone tear fall from her face into the fresh dirt. She said her final goodbye before turning and vaulting onto her ikran, and taking off into the night.

"Goodbye……..my Jake".

___________________

A/N: Yeah, so I hope this chapter was good. I have just really in the writing mood the last tow days, so I thought I'd pump out as much material as I could. This really isn't my best work, but I'm ready, as Im sure you are too, for this story to really get rolling, so I'm writing to get the point where I can write the really good stuff. I'll slow down and take my time with it, dont worry. Im going to have to do that anyway, as it seems my Professors are out for blood this time......bastards. Anyway, please review. Tell me how I can improve my writing. Heap praise upon me, or you can call it a chunk of shit, either way, it helps me. Thanks again for reading. Ready........Set.........REVIEW!

P.S. Is anyone out there getting my chapter title references? They are not random.


	6. From Afar

A/N: So yeah I'm writing like crazy these past couple of days, I just am really excited to write this story. It offers a huge break from my Philosophy Senior Thesis. I hope I'm not rushing things, but I'm excited to move the plot along. I'm really excited actually. So have fun, read and enjoy, here's chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, that is the sole property of James Cameron, and I dont dare make a claim to it, as he would probably send a copyright infringement legal death squad after me. I'm sure he has a legal team, who all also happen to be ex-Special Forces. So I'm not taking that chance.

**From Afar**

Now that the war was long over, Hells Gate had fallen back into the clutches of Pandora. Humans no longer ruled here, and the plants, ripping up through the abandoned tarmac were testament to the forest's reclamation of her land. The only bastion of human occupation remained in the base's inner facilities. This included the main control room, the scientist's quarters, the armory, the AMP and Sampson hangars, the hydroponics lab and the indoor orchards.

All of these facilities were powered from roof mounted solar units, and the air was filtered, so the few remaining scientists could live here indefinitely, and considering they had no desire or way to leave, that is exactly what they intended to do.

Most of the scientists, during the battle, had rebelled against SecOps and the RDA personnel. The scientists had no desire to harm the very creatures of the very planet they had come to study. Many objected to the RDA's treatment of the Na'vi on moral and ethical grounds. In the absence of Dr. Grace Augustine, Max Patel had led the charge, so to speak.

Max had figured out how to remotely pilot an AMP, which he took outside and positioned it in a spot to open fire on the control room. Then, he had pirated the base's intercom system, ordering that Selfridge surrender the base or he and the entire staff in the control room were going to get sprayed with 17mm anti-tank rounds. Selfridge had scoffed, considering the whole thing ludicrous.

Max had then warned everyone to put on their exo-packs. Seconds later, the remotely controlled AMP suit opened fire on the control room, with Max purposely aiming at its ceiling so as to avoid actual human casualties.

The massive 17mm rounds had punctured the glass immediately and ripped into the ceiling above cutting power to the whole room. Alarms began to blare and it was chaos as people scrambled to find exopacks as rounds flew in over their heads, dropping debris from the ceiling onto them.

Max had let off the trigger. A squeaky, trembling voice had come in over the intercom. It was Selfridge.

"Ok, ok, the base is yours, Jesus, ok……..just stop shooting those fucking tanks rounds in here, we're all cut to shit on broken glass, not to mention an electrical fire and we can't fucking breathe!"

Selfridge had no room to argue or wiggle his way out, Quaritch had taken all of his military personnel with him when he launched the attack on the Tree of Souls.

The next day, Jake, surrounded by at least a hundred Na'vi warriors was carried onto the base by Neytiri. Jake's avatar body was strapped to a direhorse following the. Jake had been surprised at Max's ballsy maneuver and the lack of resistance they now had to face as a result.

Jake had used the link chambers on the base to reconnect with his avatar body, which he had wisely brought with him.

Max still remembered how Jake had come running out from the Avatar quarters, having linked up, and ran up behind Neytiri, who was completely (and shockingly) unsuspecting. Jake had let a small roar and lifted Neytiri off of her feet and spun them around.

Neytiri had given a small squeal of surprise before joining Jake in his laughter, their jubilance ringing out across the empty tarmac.

Max woke from his reminiscing with a start as he felt a hand roughly push his shoulder. He looks up to see Norm staring at him questioningly. Max quickly took in his surroundings, and he realized he was back in the control room. Now, the windows and electronics had been fixed and him and Norm sat comfortably across from each other, playing chess on the remnants of Selfridge's office desk.

"C'mon man it's your move" Max looked down and saw the chess board laid out in front of him. Man, he had really zoned out. Norm merely chuckled at his friend's absent mindedness.

Norm Spellman had always been more one to pay attention to a technical process like chess. Max was a scientist too, but his brain was so clogged with the stress and details of running the Avatar program on his own, that he lost patience for the tediousness and calculation involved in something like chess.

Norm, on the other hand, lacked the worrying attitude that Max possessed and was able to sit back and gauge his next move.

Max looked up at Norm, observing the smug smile Norm was shooting him. Max merely smiled back before taking Norm's queen and declaring in an impossibly calm air

"Checkmate".

Norm's smugness had vanished like smoke on the wind as he observed in horror his own error. His face grew slightly red in annoyance as he watched Max chuckle and pocket the twenty dollars prize money.

"Screw you, Max" Norm yells as he slams his fist into the office desk. "Damn, that's the third time this month."  
Norm's consternation only causes Max to break it into full fledged laughter. Norm lets out a sigh of frustration and gets up, stalking off to the bowl of food they had prepared last night, in preparation for another one of their endurance chess games.

A game of chess between two brilliant scientists like Max and Norm was like a war of attrition. They lasted for hours, with no discernible progress being made until the very end.

Norm sighed as he shoveled some algae-based rice into a plastic bowl. He found his spoon amongst the clutter crowding the counter top, scooped up some rice, eyed it suspiciously, before shoving it into his mouth.

Max felt his own stomach grumble and he looked for his bowl as he sat up from his chair. "Man that stuff may not be filet mignon, but it still would hit the spot right now." Norm merely nodded as he chewed.

He lazily glanced down at his watch and nearly choked. "Jesus, Max, man, it's almost 4:30….am!"

Max merely shrugged and gestured about him, his arms spread wide. "What the hell else have we got to do?"

As if on cue, a massive alarm siren went off, and Max and Norm jumping at the sudden sound and slapping their hands to their ears, Norm dumping his rice all over the floor.

Max yelled over the din at Norm, who was tapping into a control panel to determine the source of the noise. "Where the hell is that coming from? What sector is in trouble?"

Norm's face scrunched in concentration from the noise and his efforts to navigate the base's emergency alert mainframe. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion at something he read on the screen. Max noticed this.

"What? What is it?" Norm merely shook his head and shrugged.

"I don't know, the screen says it's a Code Black Emergency Biometrics Alert, never seen anything like it, I'll bring it up on the screen………….and turn off that damn alarm." Norm punched a key on the screen and the siren ceased. He punched another key and the large main screen in the control room came to life and lit up.

They both gasped at what they saw.

The alert was coded for auxiliary avatar bio-monitoring systems, and it was showing vital schematics that were running off the charts. The heart rate was dropping below thirty beats a minute, impossibly slow. The respiration rate was shallow and slow, and falling at an unsustainable rate.

On the bottom part of the screen, a small window indicated onboard, subdermal blood and tissue analyzing microprocessors suggested a deadly toxin in the bloodstream that was going to cause imminent kidney failure.

"Oh SHIT!" Norm exclaimed. Max looked from the screen to him, questioningly. Norm walked around the mainframe controls and pointed to the bottom left of the screen, where the patient number and Id was flashing.

Jake Sully.

**************

Norm and Max had readied one of the Sampsons in record time. With the military gone, Max, with all the time in the world, had taken extensive care to become a qualified and skillful pilot. Now, Max thought grimly, Jake's life depended upon his skill and speed as a pilot.

Though they knew they had to get to Jake and help him, they took the time to load all the potentially necessary medical supplies with them onboard. They grabbed a Na'vi size gurney, sedatives, anti toxins, bandages, morphine, adrenaline and antibiotics.

While the Sampson was warming up, Max ran back inside to download all of the medical information and Jake's GPS coordinates onto his tablet computer, while Norm had performed possibly the fastest link transfer ever into his avatar body. They both scrambled into the Sampson and got in, Max in the cockpit, Norm in the rear, hanging out the door.

They blasted at full speed from the hangar and Max turned the ship in the direction of the GPS locator. The silent dark of the early Pandoran morning seemed quiet and eerie to them, even though the loud throb of the Sampson's engines rent the air.

They had both completely forgotten that all avatar bodies had onboard health monitoring systems that would send alerts back to base in case anything really bad was happening. It made sense, an avatar body was an insanely expensive piece of equipment.

The real stroke of genius and probably Jake's only chance at survival was the extremely powerful GPS locator. It could only be used one time, as the locator emitted such a powerful signal that it fried its own onboard subdermal microprocessor.

The signal was saved for when the avatar was in mortal peril, and once vitals dipped below a certain level, the biometrics systems set off the trigger for the signal. Luckily the signal's decaying signature was so strong, that it could be seen for hours afterwards on a GPS locator. The signal had to cut through the planet's flux vortex and send a clean signature back to Hells Gate.

Max watched the trajectory of their path intersect with Jake's signal at a point about twenty miles away, back at the site…..of Old Hometre. Max wondered to himself what Jake was doing back there. Norm's voice came roaring through the comm. link.

"Max, we gotta fly man, my onboard computer is telling me that Jake is now intermittently flatlining. We gotta roll, man!" Max sighed in frustration.

"I know Norm, I'm going as fast as this Sampson can possibly go, we'll be there in three and a half minutes" He paused and thought for a second. "Hey Norm, do you think he's out alone? What the hell has he done this time? I just hope the other Na'vi don't consider us a threat." Norm nodded, even though Max couldn't see him.

"Yeah Max, I don't know, man. This is serious. Jake is a goner unless we get to him in the next 10 minutes. Neytiris got to be with him, right? They are inseparable and she would never…….." Max interrupted Norm as the chopper slowed down and descended.

"Norm, my nav systems are telling me we are right on top of Jake's signal. We got to get out and find him, he hasn't moved the whole time, and the signal's decay has a 10 kilometer radius on movements, so hes got be here." Norm nodded again and braced his arms on either side of the Sampson's doorway, readying himself to jump down as soon as it was low enough.

As the Sampson descended closer into the clearing next to the massive, inert trunk of Old Hometree, Norm scanned the dark ground for any sign of life. He took a spotlight on the side of the Sampson and shined its bright light onto ground.

The massive power of the spotlight illuminated a the floor of the clearing as Norm swung it in massive arcs, along the trunk of Old Hometree.

Max maneuvered the Sampson until he was hovering over as close as he could get to the massive trunk, his voice coming in over the comm. link.

"Norm, its reading that we are five meters to the left of Jake's signal, do you see anything?"

Norm screamed over the link as grass and leaves blew in his face from the rotorwash of the Sampson. "No, man." His head swiveled frantically as he surveyed the area. "I don't see anything, we got to touch down, Jake is almost done!".

When the Sampson had gotten to about ten feet off the ground, Norm jumped out, a GPS locator and spotlight in one hand, and a emergency medkit slung over his shoulder. He hit the ground running and immediately began to orient his terrain with the signal's location. He swung the spotlight in all directions as he ducked, avoiding the rotors of the descending Sampson.

As soon as Max touched down, he powered the Sampson down to idle mode, where the engines stayed warmed up but the rotors spun considerably slower and the noise was lowered to barely anything.

Max unstrapped himself from the pilot's seat and scrambled from the cockpit, grabbing a flashlight and a small assault rifle, which he slung over his shoulder. "Always be prepared", Jake had once said to him, with a crazy grin, "especially on Pandora". Max jumped from the rear of the Sampson onto the ground, clicking on his flashlight and following the beam of Norm's flashlight up ahead.

Norm was scanning the ground with his flashlight. He turned around to face Max, and even in the light of his flashlight beam, Max could see the utter confusion and worry on Norm's face. Norm threw one hand up in frustration.

"Max, we got to get to Jake fast, his vitals are impossibly low, he's barely alive, in fact I don't even know how he is alive with a heartbeat that low" Norm swung his spotlight around as he spun around "Where the hell is he? His signal is right here! We are right on top of him! Where are all the other Omaticaya?" Max could not respond, so he merely looked down at the ground and kept looking for any signs of life.

Norm's voice roared across the clearing. "Jake, where the hell are you man?! Talk to me, man! Let us know where you are!"

"Norm, he can't possibly be conscious right now, he is inches from death right now! We're going to have to find him, spread out" Max kept walking frantically with his flashlight beam down, away from Norm, towards the trunk of Old Hometree.

Max's flashlight beam fell across a curious sight as Max scurried around the area, scanning the ground. He saw the blackness of the freshly upturned dirt, and a shiny white object sitting in top of the mound of dirt reflected ghostly white in his flashlight beam. He ran over to it, his feet skidding in the loose dirt of the mound.

Max saw the bone necklace. He saw he freshly overturned dirt and he saw the massive groupings of footprints in the grass around the mound. His mind came to the horrible realization of what must have occurred here. He stood there in shock, the only sounds being the beeping of Jake's failing vitals and the frantic scurrying of Norm, working his way over towards Max.

Norm saw Max staring at the ground, standing stock still. When he got close enough, Norm's spotlight beam fell upon the dirt mound and the necklace.

He ran over and stood next to Max and he looked down at the GPS locator, the coordinates indicating a direct linear alignment with the emergency signal's origin. Norm's mind closed down on reality like a steel bear trap.

"Holy shit, what the………" Norm stood there, opened mouth for a second or two, before immediately falling to his hands and knees, and digging with an insane energy. He was like a man possessed. Dirt flew as he dug with his bare hands.

Max clicked out of his reverie and fell to his knees and began to dig on the side opposite of Norm's , his smaller human hands making considerably less progress than Norms.

Norm was insane with determination as he flung dirt aside.

"Hold tight, Jake, were comin' man! Don't you die, you stupid son of a bitch"

_________

A/N: Whoa, where the hell did this come from? Hope I surprised some of you, but I wouldn't be surprised myself, if some of you didn't see something like this coming. Things are still pretty crazy, though. Who knows what the hell could happen? Thanks for reading and as always review. Please. I like it and it helps me. This is my first fic, so I am really trying to hone my writing style based upon your comments.


	7. One More Magic Potion

A/N: Enjoy, this chapter, its a good one. Thanks for reading, everyone.

**One More Magic Potion**

Norm is digging with an energy that is reminiscent of a wild animal, his wild eyes frantically sweeping the dirt for any sign of Jake. The large hands of Norm's avatar body claw at the dirt in powerful movements and his face is contorted in fierce determination.

He and Max have now excavated part of the mound and have dug in at least three feet into the ground.

Norm's mind raced as he dug. He could not stop to consider the reasons why Jake was buried, but he knew as a expert on Pandoran botany, that because of the abundance of plant life on Pandora, the intricate and extensive root systems of most plants, even grasses, prevented digging, at least by hand, no more than four or five feet into the dirt.

The rich topsoil of the mound was loose, so Norm knew that this mound was freshly made and therefore Jake had recently been interred. He had to be getting close, if this was where Jake was. It had to be, otherwise Norm was…….no, he couldn't think that, he was going to get Jake out.

In the back of Norm's mind, some capacity of his higher brain humorously proclaimed that as soon as Jake was safe and healed, that he couldn't wait to hear Jake's explanation as to how he had gotten into this mess.

Norm shook his head, throwing sweat off his heated brow. He couldn't be distracted. Somewhere in the background, Norm's sensitive Na'vi hearing registered the frenetic beeping of the health monitor, still indicating that Jake was in mortal peril, in deep shit, as Jake would put it.

Norm threw even more of his weight into the digging. His hands hit something semi-solid.

A piece of tannish colored cloth came to view, and he screamed in a mixture of excitement and worry.

Max stopped digging as he observed Norm unearthing what looked like a giant cloth sack. What the hell is going on, he thought to himself as he watched Norm tear at the sack with his bare hands.

Norm tried to wrench and rip the sack open, his instincts telling him that Jake was inside, as he could feel a solid mass under his fingers when he touched the sack. The cloth wouldn't give and Norm gave a roar of frustration.

His hands flew to his waist, and Max jumped in shock slightly as Norm whipped out a Na'vi sized combat knife. Norm expertly flicked the 17 inch blade around and grabbed a section of the cloth in his hands, and with a deft movement, sliced it open.

Jake, in the time after the battle, after Norm had seen real combat, had taught Norm how to wield a blade. Jake, with his Marine training, was nothing short of deadly when armed with a knife. Norm did not have the same combat prowess or training as Jake, but Jake had taught him how to use a knife effectively and quickly, for peaceful and pugilistic purposes.

The irony that Norm was now using Jake's training to save Jake's life was not lost on Norm.

Norm stabbed the knife into the dirt on the side of the hole, and he took an edge of the cloth in each hand and with a fierce growl and great effort, he ripped the sack wide open.

The limp, unmoving form of Jake lay there before Norm and Max. They both could not help but stare in shock.

This time, Max was the first to recover. He immediately started down into the hole, smacking Norm heavily on the shoulder.

"Help me get him out, we got to get him hooked up to the trauma kit." Norm had merely hopped into a crouched position, and reached down to grasp Jake's midriff and left shoulder.

"Max, get the medkit and trauma kit ready. I'll get him." Norm lifted with an adrenaline fueled heave and he threw Jake, who was a stouter and heavier Na'vi than Norm, over his shoulder in a fireman's carry before rising to his feet, quickly vaulting out of the hole.

Max raced over to the Sampson and prepared the IV drip of powerful antitoxins. According to the computer analysis of Jake's blood, the toxin combined with the lack of air was about to cause massive organ failure.

Norm ran as fast as he could with his burden across the clearing to the Sampson. Though Jake was heavy, Norm was possessed by a raw strength born of desperation.

When he reached the Sampson, he laid Jake down in the rear, stretched out across the bulkhead and in between the seats.

Max was already inside the Sampson, inserting the IV into Jake's arm and putting him on a respirator. Norm climbed inside the slightly cramped space and began to lift the gurney out of its stored location. He laid it flat on the gunnel and then bodily dragged Jake onto it, mindful of the IV hoses.

Max ducked past him and into the cockpit. Norm noticed this and stuck his head into the cockpit.

"Max, where are we taking him? Neytiri and Moat should know about this………" Max cut him off as he slipped on his helmet and flipped switches.

"Are you crazy? If we don't get Jake substantial medical help within the next hour, He is Going. To. Die." He turned to look at Norm. "We don't have time, we have to take him to Hell's Gate, that is the only place equipped to treat him, or at this point, save him."

Norm nodded. He knew Max was right. Neytiri and Moat would have to wait; keeping Jake alive was absolutely top priority. He turned to return to Jake's side and Max pushed down hard on the throttle, the engines roaring to life.

Norm's hands tremble as he takes the cover off of a massive syringe filled with the adrenaline. Luckily, human and Na'vi biology were similar enough that the hormonal compound had the same effects in both species.

Max turned around to see Norm kneeling over Jake, about to stick the syringe into Jake's neck. He yelled into the headset. "Norm, be careful, his body is so close to death right now, that if you give him too much, it could cause his heart to skyrocket and he could crash."

Norm, without turning back to look at Max, yelled into his own headset. "Max, his body is so close to death right now, that if his heart beats any slower, it will stop, this is his only chance, from just a visual scan, I can see that most of his limbs have been deprived of significant amounts of oxygen and blood for a long time." Norm tested the syringe and he watched as a few droplets squirted out of the tip of the needle.

"His tissue will start to die if it is starved any longer. The adrenaline will cause bloodflow to be restored and he will become conscious."

He stopped and wiped an alcohol swab across the place on Jake's neck where he intended to inject the hormonal potion. "Luckily, the Na'vi circulatory system has quadruple the oxygenating capacity that humans do, so the restoration of blood to his system should make him conscious, and restore a normal circulatory pattern to all of his organs"

Norm then set the syringe down and proceeded to buckle Jake's lower body into the gurney. He secured the straps and then picked the syringe up again.

"If he wakes up, I don't want him thrashing about."

Max turned back around and grasped the control stick. With the engines warmed up, he wasted no time in lifting off and doing a slight, gentle spin to redirect their nose in the direction of Hell's Gate.

He looked back around to see the syringe enter Jake's neck, right where his carotid artery should be. Max watched with worry. The adrenaline had the capability to either save or kill Jake. If it worked, Jake would become conscious again, and his vitals would balance out, providing the powerful antitoxin was doing its job.

On the other hand, if the antitoxin hadn't taken affect yet, which it should have, then when Jake's heart rate shot through the roof, and blood began to pump again, then it would force a massive amount of toxin-laden blood to all extremities in Jake's system, causing further blood poisoning, and most likely systemic organ failure.

"It's do or die now, Jake", Max thought.

Norm sat back and watched Jake, his hand already clenched around a syringe full of a hormone opposite of adrenaline, so as to stem the potential negative effects of the adrenaline, should the antitoxin not be effective. He watched as Jake's form lay still, limp, inert, unmoving.

Norm wanted to kick out at Jake, punch him, bite him, do anything that would make Jake wake up. Norm waited, ready for any sign of life from Jake.

Without warning, the heart rate monitor begins to scream out an alert as Jake's heart rate starts to climb exceedingly fast. Jake's body begins to thrash about on the gurney.

Norm drops the other syringe and reaches out to pin Jake's arms to his sides, realizing that he foolishly forgot to strap Jake's upper body down, but even so oxygen starved and close to death, Jake is stronger, and his arms fly from Norm's grasp, the adrenaline returning motor functions to all of Jake's limbs.

Norm is leaning over Jake, trying to feel for a pulse when Jake's head snaps from side to side before his yellow eyes fly open, and he stares up at Norm.

A smile quickly spreads across Norm's face as he sees his friend conscious. Second later the smile is wiped from his face as a powerful punch lands directly on his nose, and with a sickening crack, Norm falls back in pain.

Upon hearing Norm's cry of pain, Max looks back to see Jake struggling in the gurney, while Norm sits up against the rear hatch door, his hands over his bleeding nose.

Jake is thrashing around, yelling and swinging his arms around, almost ripping the IV hose out. His movements cause the gurney to slide close to the edge of the gunnel, where the door is wide open. Max's eyes widened in terror as he saw this.

"Jake! Calm down, man!" Max flipped a few switches and adjusted his rotors so that the Sampson went into auto-hover mode, and Max unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat and scrambled into the back.

Norm, though bleeding profusely from his now broken nose, had regained his senses and had grabbed one edge of the gurney to drag it back. Max grabbed the other edge and they both heaved the gurney back into place in the center of the bulkhead. This time, they found the eyelets bolted into the floor, where they ran the tie down straps through and thus secured Jake's gurney to the floor.

Suddenly, Jake sat up and brought his arm back to land a devastating blow on Max'x unprotected head, but he immediately cried out in pain, his hands shooting to his sides.

Norm and Max for first time noticed the primitive stitching done to Jake's side. Their confusion was only compounded, they looked at each other in bafflement.

Jake sat there his muscles tenses and teeth gritted as the pain flowed through him. Even in his delirious state, he knew enough about injuries and the location of the pain to know that it meant most of his ribs were broken. Slowly, he relaxed and straightened out, his arms returning to either side of him.

Jake opened his eyes as he lay there, breathing heavily, his chest heaving and his skin flushed a deep blue color, and his eyes roving around the scene about him.

He lifted his head slightly and stared at Max and Norm, he squinted as tried to focus in on them.

"What….the…..fuck? Max? Norm? Is that you, guys?" Jake's voice was ragged and he his breather was still heavy so he spoke in spurts trying to catch his breath.

Norm could not hold the anger out of his voice as he held his bloodied and broken nose. "Who the hell did you think it was?! Who else would come save your sorry ass?!" His hands flew in the air in yelled. Jake saw Norm gesticulating towards his nose.

Jake put his head back down and stared at the ceiling of the Sampson.

"Yeah sorry about that, Norm." He tilted his head to look at his two friends. "But I think you might have done the same thing waking up completely disoriented and having the past few days that I've had."

______________

A/N: It seems to me that people have waiting for Jake's return since chapter 2, well, here it is. Ta-dah! I'm excited now, the story is really getting rolling now, shits gonna do down and some heads are gonna roll! Dont know when my next updates going to be, got a ton of work for the rest of this week and this weekend, but at least I got to the turning of the tide in my three day update streak. Well, have fun everyone, be safe, and REVIEW! It helps me and its chance for you to yell at me for how terrible my writing is.

P.S. Is still nobody recognizing my chapter title references? They are song titles taken from one of my favorite bands, and whose music I think fits a revenge story.


	8. Hero in a Dream

A/N: First things first, I"m Sorry I havn't updated in a while. There is a whole litany of issues concerning senior finals and technological problems that prevented me from writing this. Between my computer germinating its doom seed and my Senior oral exam in which I had to defend Berkeleian Immaterialist Metaphysics, I've barely had enough time to think, much less write about this story. Anyway, here's the (hopefully long awaited) eight chapter, its the longest one yet. Enjoy. Comment. Enjoy some more...

Disclaimer: I personally don't like the idea of staring down the barrel of Jame's Cameron multimillion dollar legal shotgun, so I'm going to go ahead and attribute all creative credit to Mr. Cameron and whatever studio produced Avatar. I own nothing.

**Hero In a Dream**

As the Sampson descended to the tarmac at Hell's Gate, the fiery orange light of the dawn came in over the trees, giving the forest canopy a surreal reddish tinge. The rotorwash caused a small dust cloud to scatter under the craft.

Norm was already in contact with the base and asking for a full med team to meet him on the tarmac, with a support team already prepping surgery and amnio tanks. Max was concentrating on bringing the craft to a smooth landing on the cracked landing pad.

As soon as the Sampson touched down, Norm began to untether Jake's gurney from the bulkhead, Max unstrapping from his safety harness and jumping out of the cockpit to lend Norm some assistance.

Jake's eyes roved around as he watched his two friends as they hovered over him, readying his gurney to be unloaded. Jake had barely talked the whole way back, neither Norm nor Max pushed him to talk, they merely observed him and made sure he didn't slip back into unconsciousness, although he was still disoriented. Both Norm and Max were extremely thankful for Jake to be alive at all.

Norm tended to Jake while Max scurried around the bulkhead, readying Jake for his disconnection from the Sampson's trauma kit. He went back into the cockpit to shut down the medical computer.

As Norm undid the last of the straps and went to grab the edge of the gurney, Jake's hand shot out and grabbed Norm's wrist. Norm couldn't help but flinch slightly at the sudden movement and the vicelike grip Jake exerted. He looked down at Jake, to see his face lined with worry. Jake opened his mouth to speak, but a string of incoherent phrases slipped out, and Jake's expression went from worried to angry. Jake stopped, took a deep breath and then spoke, with his tone being tightly controlled, but tinges of worry and frustration bleeding through.

"Norm, whats going on? I was in the forest…I saw…" Jake's focus faltered and the expression of anger returned to his face, crinkling his brow downward in a menacing manner, and his mouth involuntarily curled into a snarl.

Norm put his other hand on Jake's shoulder, and gently pushed his friend back down flat onto the gurney. He spoke to Jake in an equally controlled voice, so as not to betray the utter confusion and fear that Norm felt from finding his best friend buried alive, for no apparent reason.

"Jake, I'm going to be completely honest." Norm paused. Jake stared back at him, and Norm could see the worry creeping back into Jake's face. "I don't know what happened to you, hopefully you can fill us in on what you remember, but that can wait, the main priority is to get you into the medlab, and into an amnio tank. Dude, those lacerations on your stomach are crudely stitched, we are going to open them back up when….." Jake interrupted him, his voice was sharp and insistent, and it was accompanied by his increasing the pressure he had on Norm's wrist. Norm winced at the grip, inwardly amazed that Jake was still this strong even in his massively weakened state.

"Have you told anybody that you found me? Neytiri? Moat? Anyone at all from Hometree?" Jake held firmly onto Norm's wrist as he spoke, his voice, though still weak, stressing every word. Norm shook his head.

"No, Jake. We knew we had to get you help as soon as possible, and we knew they only place equipped to treat you was here."

Norm noticed as some of the concern and worry left Jake's face, but a strong sense of fear still hung over Jake. Jake noticed Norm looking at him and he raised his hand to Norm's shoulder. Jake's face was firm and his gaze pierced Norm, and his voice was filled with a command, Norm assumed Jake had suddenly went into Marine mode.

"Don't tell anyone I'm here." Norm raised his eyebrows. Jake's face softened and he continued at Norm's look. "You'll understand when I tell you about the shitstorm of a week that I've had, trust me."

Norm was about to press Jake further when the med team appeared at the sliding doorway of the Sampson, equipped and ready to receive Jake.

The team was comprised of a assortment of doctors, biologists and anthropologists, but all had some form of medical training. They were all willing to escort Jake into the avatar lab where a more qualified team of two surgeons and the base doctor were waiting.

Norm and Max maneuvered Jake, on his gurney, free of the seats and handed him down to the waiting med team. A doctor immediately stuck his hand into Jake's neck as he checked Jake's pulse. A biologist let the legs down on the gurney, while the rest began to push Jake at top speed back to the base.

Max jumped down from the rear of the Sampson, while Norm merely stepped out from under the door, both of them immediately heading for the entrance to the avatar lab. Hopefully, Norm had provided enough information to the med team before they arrived such that the team knew Jake's situation and were able to immediately start treating him and searching him for other injuries.

"Max, what do you think those stitches on Jake's side and nose were all about? Had he been injured recently and we not known it?" Max looked up to see Norm staring at him, a concerned and troubled look in his eye. He was silent for a few moments before breaking into a chuckle.

"Considering we just found Jake buried in the ground, in a sack, barely alive, those stitches seem quite trivial." At seeing the concentrated look on Norm's face, Max abruptly stopped his chuckling. Norm was staring off across the tarmac now. Max watched him for a few seconds before venturing to break Norm from his thoughts.

"Norm?..."

Norm looked back down at Max and pursed his lips, still apparently thinking, then he gestured towards his own midsection. "Those stitches Jake had were primitive at best, he had them before we saw him, so Moat or one of the other healers must have done it for him." Norm paused and then focused on Max. "Did you see the massive bruises covering Jake's torso? They don't look good, probably a little internal bleeding from those and they look fresh, definitely obtained within the fast four days."

Max nodded. "The yellowish green color would indicate that the bruises are about 72 hours or older. However, Na'vi pigementation could differ on some level, I've never seen a case of internal bleeding before, which makes this all the more dangerous."

Now, this time it was Norm who chuckled, his concentration broken somehow, and his head fell down onto his chest, which rose and fell several times as he gently laughed. His laugh slowly faded, and he looked at Max, who was looking a little confused. Norm elaborated

"This shit just keeps getting better…I really can't wait until Jake gets out of that amino tank, and I get to hear the full version of how this" Norm reached up and tenderly rubbed the spot where Jake had punched him, and he looked away over the tarmac "because this, quite frankly is fucking unbelievable."

Max did not answer, but merely nodded and they both kept walking until they entered the airlock to the avatar lab. The airlock clicked closed behind them, and a gentle sucking noise filled the air, as the atmosphere entering the base, was that of Earth conditions, such that the dangerous levels of carbon dioxide were removed from the air. The suction ceased, and a green light upon the wall of the airlock indicated that the air was now at Earth conditions, and the door leading into the base, slid open with a hiss. The door opened into a long steel, hatched hallway, which at the end rounded a corner and branched off into the avatar lab.

Even from outside, in the hallway, Max and Norm could hear the commotion going on inside the avatar lab. When they rounded the corner, plexiglass viewing windows let them survey a scene of thinly veiled chaos.

There were at least ten people in a clinically white med lab, suited for a maximum of seven people, not including the ten foot tall, very confused, disoriented and angry Na'vi lying strapped to the gurney in the center of the room.

Several doctors were attempting to still Jake's arm enough such that they could insert a new IV line into his arm. They were all yelling at each other, their words blending in with Jake's incoherent combination of human cussing and animalistic growls.

Max and Norm stood outside the chamber, observing. Norm looked down at Max, and noticed a wry grin twisting Max's bearded face. Max looked up, and he saw Norm looking at him. Max moved to explain.

"Oh, its nothing really…..its just….well, they're the doctors, four of them to be precise, yet I could have told you that mixing powerful thoracic anesthetics with that massive adrenal cocktail we gave him, which is still very much in effect right now, would end in a very irate animal, especially one with Jake's personality. We gave him that adrenal boost to bring him back from the edge, and that antitoxin took care of whatever was killing him, so he should be fine, as long as a steady, constant flow of blood and oxygen is restored to his limbs, like you said before, the Na'vi circulatory system, so therefore, the awesome ability of his body to restore oxygen, should counteract any damage suffered from oxygen deprivation. But that's all thanks to the adrenaline, right? Well that adrenaline is going to cause the anesthetics to be pumped very fast into his system, to organs and tissues that are not fully oxygenated. The lack of oxygen and combination of the effects of anesthetics, though while not harmful, is not painless" Max pointed to Jake through the glass. "As is evidenced by our dear blue bastard on the gurney in there."

Norm followed Max's gaze and had to stifle a laugh as he watched Jake gnash his teeth and headbutt a doctor who got too close to check for pupil dilation.

Max continued.

"However, when those drugs do take their proper effect, they are going to make Jake a little out of it, and hes probably going to talk…a lot. So, if there was any time to get the story of this whole debacle from him without pissing him off too much, then that would be the ideal time."

Norm turned to Max, and paused, searching for the right words.

"Hadn't we better wait, the drugs might make his memory fuzzy or cause him to make shit up, I want to know what happened, or at least what he can remember, so I don't want his recollection tainted by drugs."

Max shrugged, but still stared at Jake through the glass, not turning to Norm to respond.

"We are just going to have to take that risk, I mean, he might be in that amnio tank for a full month before he's healed. Do you really want to wait a month to find out what the hell happened?"

Norm looked back up at the glass, his face twisted, displaying the dilemma going on in his mind. Max continued on.

"What are we supposed to tell Neytiri, or one of the other Na'vi when they come looking for him, because you know they will and their search will eventually lead them here. I wouldn't be surprised if banshee riders didn't show up later today"

Norm looked down at his hands, which were resting on the windowsill, as he spoke, his voice soft but clear.

"We can't tell them"

Max nodded.

"Exactly, we can't tell them, because we'll have no idea what the hell happened. I mean….."

Norm interrupted him, turning to face Max.

"No, we can't tell them about Jake" Max tuned to look at Norm, confusion plastered on his face. Norm explained. "We can't tell them about Jake, if they come and ask, because Jake pretty much gave me Marine orders, to not tell any Na'vi, especially those from Hometree, about his being here."

Max's look of confusion only deepened. Upon seeing this, Norm nodded and shrugged before speaking.

"I know, sounds weird, doesn't it. Whatever reasons Jake has definitely have something to do with what happened, I mean, you should have seen his face, he was ordering me like a Marine, but the fear was clear as day on his face. I've never seen fear in Jake before, not until then, but when I saw it, I recognized it immediately for what it was. He was afraid." Norm paused and Max turned back to the window, his gaze indicating that he was studying Jake with even more scrutiny now.

"Whatever happened is bad enough to have _Jake_ scared." Norm's voice emphasized Jake's name, conveying the bafflement that both he and Max felt. "Jake is the guy who rides a Leonopteryx, for Christ's sake, I mean, what scares that guy?" Norm waved his hands in the air in confusion, nearly swiping Max across the mouth.

Max, even in his state of deep thought, sidestepped the accidental swing, and continued staring at Jake, who was now overturning a tray of syringes with his loose hand.

"I don't know what could spook Jake, but whatever it was, I'm already scared shitless of it."

As it turned out, Max was correct in his prediction that Jake's treatments would not mix very well together, and it took several hours for Jake to calm down and realize where he was. Jake's pain had gone down once the anesthesia took effect and his body was fully oxygenated, so now he lay on the gurney, calmly staring at the two doctors monitoring his charts and biometrics.

The door to the lab opened up with a swish of pneumatic air and in walked Norm, who was back to his human body, and Max, both of them looking slightly nervous.

Max looked at the closest doctor and pointed over his shoulder.

"Hey Guarez, Dr. Farthing needs you over in Med1, he wants some help with some charts or something like that"

Dr. Guarez paused from her work, getting up from her seat at the monitoring terminal, and slowly making her way from the lab. The other doctor looked up from his station to watch her go.

Norm pointed over his shoulder as well.

"Same goes for you Berkeley, Dr. Farthing has some of Jake's charts to go over, and he wants multiple sets of eyes looking at them to make sure he doesn't miss anything." Dr. Berkeley stayed in his seat, his mouth opening to protest, but Max waved his hand to silence him.

"Don't worry about Jake, we got him. And plus, he's attached to the avatar lab's bioalert systems, so if anything goes haywire, the computer will let you guys know." Dr. Berkeley closed his mouth, and moved to get up from his terminal. Max patted him on the back reassuringly as he walked by. "No need to worry, we got it."

As the door to the lab closed behind Berkeley, Max and Norm turned to Jake, who had been staring quietly at the ceiling during their conversation with the doctors. Max rubbed his hands together and then pulled a recording device from the pocket of his lab coat, whispering to Norm as he did so.

"Lets get this done, I don't know how long Farthing can hold those two and I would rather that Jake only tell us two about the events preceding this" Max spread his hands out to indicate Jake's prone form on the gurney. "Until we know what really happened, and the possible ramifications are, we keep whatever Jake tells us to ourselves and to encourage Jake to only tell us.

They both walked forward and approached Jake, who turned his head to look at them as they drew nearer. Jake's face, which had been devoid of emotion before cracked into a small, wry grin.

"Let me guess, you two assholes have come to ask me to tell you what happened" Max and Norm looked at each other, both of them opening their mouths to say something, but Jake cut them off.

"I'll tell you what I know and remember, but I might have to stop at times, because this shit you guys have got me on is making my brain all foggy sometimes, it comes in waves." Norm and Max both nodded. "Just so you know, there is a massive gap in my memory from when I blacked out and when I ended up in the Sampson with you two, I've tried rackin' my brains to remember something, but it just isn't there, so you're going to fill in some gaps of this story for me."

Again, Norm and Max nodded, their movements quick, and it was clear to Jake, even in his mentally confused state, that they were both eager to get on with it and find out what had happened. Jake was anxious too to find out what happened, after all, there was a whole series of events that he was missing, that he did not know. He didn't know how long he had been out for, how he had gotten into the Sampson, or anything surrounding the last 48-72 hours. The only thing that remained constant in his mind was Neytiri. Even thought the drugs were powerful and made him extremely subdued, they could not stop the pure, unadulterated anger surging back into Jake's consciousness as he thought about what that bastard might be doing to Neytiri.

Norm noticed Jake's eyes turn to the ceiling. Then he noticed as Jake's lips curled into a snarl, his gleaming white incisors displayed menacingly. Max too noticed Jake's sudden mood swing and the fire behind Jake's eyes.

Norm reached out and touched Jake's shoulder, and Max snapped his fingers above Jake's eyes.

Jake had fallen into some sort of rage induced trance and immediately snapped out of It when the snapping of Max's thumb and forefinger registered in his brain. He turned to look up at Max and Norm, both of whom were looking at him apprehensively. Jake took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"Sorry 'bout that guys…..so, where to begin." Max pressed 'record' on the small device sitting on the table next to Jake's gurney.

"So, I guess it all started when I woke up in the early morning, and before you ask, I don't know how long ago this was, I don't know how long I was blacked out for. I woke up and looked down and there was Neytiri, with her head on my chest, and her soft breathing was threatening to send me back to sleep. However, I knew I needed to get up and get going. I rarely ever wake up before Neytiri and I was going to take advantage of the opportunity. So, as quietly and stealthily as I could, I raised Neytiri's arm up and rolled out from under her, placing my bundled up yerik skin to take my place. I was astounded that it had worked, but I figured the reason that I had succeeded was because of her being overly tired from being pregnant and all." Jake stared at the ceiling as he recounted his thoughts and recollections.

"I wanted to keep Neytiri safe, and contrary to what she has told me countless times, I thought it was good for her to stay and rest while I went out and hunted. I have tried to do this before, but she always refused, telling me that she is pregnant, not lame like an injured pa'li. Of course, there is no arguing with her, so she does what she will. So, that morning, when I saw a chance to slip out and get airborne before she got any wiser, I took it. Like I said, I wanted her to not strain herself, and I thought I was fine hunting by myself. I was wrong. Although I'm glad I was alone, even after all this, its better it happened to me and not Neytiri, especially now….." Jake paused, taking a few moments to lick his lips and take a few deep breaths.

"Sorry guys, I'm feeling slightly lightheaded…and the rooms spinnin', wish I wasn't strapped in" At this he looked at Max, who shook his head .

"I know what you're thinking Jake, and the answer is no, you've got to stay in a prone position, can risk you doing any further damage to yourself, and you are tied down because, as experience indicates, we have no idea whether your reaction to our medicinal cocktail will be docile or adverse, so….just keep going when you feel better.

Jake asked for the water bottle on the table next to him, and Norm held it up to Jake's lips, where he took several small sips and smacked his lips, letting out a sigh.

"Ahhhhh, that's better, these drugs are giving me cottonmouth like crazy…never knew water could taste that good." He looked over at Max and Norm, they both raised their eyebrows, silently questioning if Jake was ready to continue. Jake nodded and his gaze slipped back to the ceiling.

"Anyway, so I grabbed my bow and quiver and slipped out of our alcove, climbed to the top of Hometree, to summon my banshee. It was the hour before dawn, so the jungle was deathly still, and many of the ikran were still out finishing a night's hunt, however, luckily, my ikran, Smaug" Jake was interrupted by Norm's barking laughter. Max looked at Norm impatiently, annoyed that he had interrupted Jake.

Norm looked between Jake, who looked confused, and Max, who just looked mildly perturbed. Norm held out his hands in apology.

"Look, sorry, it's just that I never thought that you Jake would name your banshee after a character from _The Hobbit_. You never struck me as a person who had read that type of book" Jake glared at Norm.

"What? Why is that such a strange name? I liked that book….a lot. And Smaug is a dragon too, just like my ikran, or at the least the Pandoran equivalent. I thought it was a cool fucking name…..piss off, Norm." Jake opened his mouth to say something further, but Max cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Anyway, Jake, you were saying something about climbing to the top of Hometree…" Jake's once again slid his head on his pillow and turned his gaze back to the ceiling.

"Yeah, as I was saying, I climbed up to the top of Hometree to the ikran roost and found Smaug still up there, so I called him to me and fed him on some of the previous night's leftover yerik meat. After making sure he was fed and content, I made tsayhalu and told him to keep quiet until we were far from Hometree, so as to not wake Neytiri. She knows me and my ikran's hunting call as well as I know hers."

"We climbed up onto a high thermal, where Smaug could glide easily. He's lazy, just like me, so we're a good match. However…..that's about when the shit hit the fan…so to speak."

Jake's eyes never left the ceiling but as he paused, Max and Norm could see the thinly veiled rage contained in his gaze. Max was about to ask Jake if he was ok, when Jake started up again, his voice monotonous as if he was giving a SITREP to his commanding officer.

"I was about 30 klicks out from Hometree, and we had come down off the thermal and were flying low over a balding section of forest, where I knew there to be several herds of yerik about, I had seen them grazing there before. We made several circles over the area, searching for them, but there were none. Something had spooked them away."

"I was on my fifth pass over the forest, when something hit me about the yerik not being there, something didn't seem right. I don't know what it was, it was definitely some sort of gut intuition." Jake looked over at Max and Norm.

"If I was still human, I would have told you the hairs on the back of my neck were standin' up, it was that kind of feeling…..and Smaug felt it too, I could sense it through tsayhalu. I was about to head to a different hunting ground when all of the sudden this freakin' cacophony rose up behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw a….a….swarm of ikran rising up out of the canopy below me. They were too far away to tell who their mounts were, so I was extremely confused."

"Suddenly, in front of me, another huge group of them rose up out of the trees. I had slowed down to catch a glimpse at their riders. That was a mistake." Jake's gaze returned to the ceiling once more, as if analyzing it's sickening shade of clinical white.

"It was too little too late when I noticed that both groups were flying fast towards me with bows drawn and shafts notched."

"I tried doing some evasive flying, but they separated into two groups and circled in front of me, with the group in back catching up and flying very close to me, some with their bows pointed at me and some had their shafts trained on Smaug's heart."

"One of them, he had a bunch of dark blue stripes painted on his body, took his bow and motioned towards the ground, pointing to a clearing up ahead, back in the direction of the hunting grounds I had tried to leave." Jake shifted under his restraints, trying to get comfortable, swearing under his breath as he tried to move his arms.

Norm moved forward and loosened the restraints just a few notches, enough to let Jake wiggle but still securing Jake firmly flat on the gurney. Jake mumbled a gruff thanks and settled back down, taking a deep breath before he continued.

"Well ,besides being extremely confused, needless to say I was fucking pissed. Who the fuck did these assclowns think they were?"

"Then I remembered that not all of the clans were so receptive of dreamwalkers as the Omaticaya, the Plains Clan and the Eastern Sea tribes. So, I figured these were some foreign Na'vi who were pissed about me being a dreamwalker. I was wrong."

"As soon as I landed in the clearing, another freakin' battalion of these bastards came pouring out of the trees all around the clearing. Some of them had bows trained on me, while others had javelins poised to throw."

"I held out my bow to my left side, trying to make it an obvious non-threatening gesture. I looked up to see the ikran riders descending into the trees all around the clearing. They were moving really fast. Probably wanted to get out of sight, get out of the open. I don't know. I do know that they joined their fuckfaced friends in the clearing, so that I had about 200 different projectiles aimed at my head. It was a good feeling, let me tell ya."

"As soon as my feet touched the ground, four of those fuckers punced on me and one ripped my bow from my hands, throwing it to one of the others, while one tripped me, and the other two landed on top of me, pinning me to the ground."

"I snarled at them, and bit the shit out of one of them, on his arm, but other than that, I didn't fight back, I mean, I couldn't, the odds were more than a little stacked against me."

"So I sat there and tried to observe my surroundings and translate some of the murmurings of conversation going on around me." Jake looked up at Norm, his brow furrowed and his face twisted in confusion.

"I know that there are different dialects of Na'vi amongst the People, but I could have sworn that what these guys were speaking was an entirely different language. Granted, my Na'vi is atrocious, Neytiri has to help through most of the dialogue at the clan meetings, but I know enough of how it is spoken and the flow of it, to tell you that these bastards were seriously foreign."

"First, they spoke nothing like the Omaticaya or any other tribes I've encountered. Second, they _look_ really different. They are shorter and stockier. Their skin is this pale blue, almost sky blue color and they have white stripes, where all other Na'vi have the blue stripes. Their faces were off too somehow, maybe their eyes were more sunk into their heads or something. But their differences were obvious enough that even though I was trying to figure out to escape, I still noticed the contrast between those pukes and the Omaticaya."

"Well, that rat bastard with all the blue paint came up and lorded over me, speaking all kinds of mumbo jumbo. I could tell he was talking shit, because he had this evil grin plastered on his ugly mug the whole time he was bent over, in my face."

"There was a yell from the back of the crowd, and that painted guy got right up and stood over me, almost as if he was standing to attention. I craned my head up as much as I could and that's when _he_ stepped out of the crowd."

Max jumped a little bit as a low growl emanated from Jake's throat and Jake's lips involuntarily moved into a wicked display of teeth. Norm noticed Jake's hands clenching into fists. He ventured a glance at Jake's face and saw nothing but cold fury there. 'Holy shit' Norm thought to himself.

"What happened Jake, who was it in the crowd?" Max had moved over Jake, and stared him directly in the eyes. Jake stared directly back as he answered.

"You know how there are just some people you can't please and they are going to hate you no matter what you do? Well I have some people in my life, on Earth and Pandora who hate me with a special, potent brand of vitriol that I like to think I don't deserve."

Max raised his eyebrows at Jake's tangential, circumlocutive answer. Jake continued, his voice dropping and his tone becoming more sharp.

"It would seem that Tsu'tey is one of those people. We had assumed, after unsuccessful searches, that he had died in the battle. I mean there were so many wounded, scattered all over the clan's territory that finding all of them was difficult."

"Anyway, he walked forward, lo and behold, healthy as can be, although his face was a little more marked and scarred than before. I couldn't believe my eyes at first, and was quite frankly overjoyed to see a familiar face in this crowd of strange Na'vi."

"I called out to him, recognizing him and questioning him how he survived the battle. He didn't respond. It was only when he got close enough that I could clearly see his eyes that I became truly wary of his presence. Something in his eyes was different, something was _off_. I noticed him motion to the two goons pinning me and they both nodded to him and hauled me up."

"As soon as I gained my footing, he punched me, hard in the nose. I wasn't ready at all, and I was totally off guard. Obviously then, I knew something was really wrong with this whole situation."

"Before I could open my mouth to yell at Tsu'tey, he punched me in the nose again, and then let me recover before he punched me two more times. I havn't seen any kind of mirror yet, but I knew from the blood all over my face and the sharp pain in my skull that he had broke the shit out of my nose. When I regained my senses, he smiled wickedly at me, and then turned to the assembled crowd of strangers, and spoke to them…..in their language."

"Obviously he was talking shit, because he pointed to me, said something in their language, and they all laughed cruelly. His tone was derisory and I caught the words Toruk Makto in his little trash talking speech. He turned back to me and the crowd settled down."

"Tsu'tey finally addressed me. I kept silent. He moved around me in circles, while his two goons held me tight between their arms. I was trying to regain my senses as my head swam and blood covered my face. He stopped in front of me and leaned in to look me directly in the eyes. I stared right back at him and I could see the strange, crazy look in his eyes. I knew I was screwed. I lunged forward and snapped at his face, my jaws just barely missing his. He reflexively stepped back. After he overcame his initial shock, he began to laugh. Let me tell you, I still can't get that laugh, that crazy, deranged laugh out of my head."

"When he finally stopped laughing, he asked me if I knew why he was doing this to me. Once again I kept silent. He smiled this evil smirk and his eyes were filled with hatred and loathing as he spoke. He told me that I was the sole cause of his entire burden of misfortune, that I had stolen Neytiri from him and ruined his life. He began to rant about how I everything I touched in his life turned against him. He went on with irrational claims about how I did all of this to ruin him, and that was my tawtute brethren who sent him careening off that ship during the battle."

"At that point I interrupted him, and reminded him that I was fighting the sky people just like he was. But he ignored me. It was then that I realized that something was wrong with him. Something must happened between the time of the battle and now, because something had snapped in him. Tsu'tey had been an asshole before, sure, but this was different. He's crazy now. Maybe he hit his head too hard when he fell and it knocked something loose."

"Anyway, it didn't matter what was wrong with him because at any rate I was still royally screwed. Suddenly he grabbed me by the throat and leaned in to yell in my face. He said he was now going to have his revenge on me. Of course, I croaked out that he could go fuck himself. I don't think he understood the English words, but he understood the insults meaning and intent. He increased the pressure on my throat. I struggled in the arms of the two bastards holding me, but to no avail. He leaned in closer and told me that I was going to beg him for death when the time came. I just spit in his face."

"Of course he took as kindly to that as one would, and he stepped back, a look of disgust on his face. He then proceeded to punch me in the face one more time, right above the eye. I think he missed my nose. His aims piss poor anyhow."

"Again, that evil grin came onto his face, and he told me that he was going to get rid of me in a manner that would arouse suspicion, and using my untimely death to regain a position within the clan, and using the power vacuum following my death to retake his previous position as olo'eyktan."

"I told him he could be olo'eyktan if he wanted to, that I didn't really want the job that much anyway. I told him that it was his if he wanted it."

"Then he stared directly at me as he said that an olo'eyktan has to have the Tsahik as his mate. Before he could get any further, I lunged out at him, actually breaking one of my arms free and landing a punch on his chin, as I roared and fought to get at him. I knew what he was implying. He wanted Neytiri."

At this point, Max and Norm noticed the bed sheet being bunched up under Jake's fist and his face was held tightly, but his eyes danced with unadulterated, murderous rage. Norm had seen that look before on Jake, but not nearly as intense. He had seen Jake react this way after Grace died under the Tree of Souls. Jake had been furious that the Sky people had caused this to happen, but now Norm could only imagine the seething hatred Jake felt at the idea of Neytiri threatened in any form, especially now with her being pregnant.

Jakes voice was gravelly and thick with contained vitriol as he spoke his next memories.

"He then walked around me in circles, telling me all the things he was going to do to the Omaticaya and Neytiri. He planned on using my death to regain the claim to olo'eyktan and then rule the Omaticaya with an iron fist. He saw the clan as siding with tawtute scum like me, and therefore they turned their back on their Omaticaya history and him. He was going to remake the Omaticaya into the most powerful of all the clans. He claimed that once his army of brethren, which is what he called the foreign Na'vi ,were added to the Omaticaya, no longer would the rightful Na'vi have to worry about attacks from the Tawtute and dreamwalker scum like me. He was going to make the Omaticaya remember their Na'vi pride, the reasons why I was the enemy."

"At this point, I was still rearing and struggling to get at him because I was still in 'I'm going to rip your throat out with my bare hands' attack mode that I couldn't form coherent thought. Then, he leaned in as close as he dared and told me, to my face, how he was going to sire many children with Neytiri and that once I was dead and long forgotten, she would spurn the memory of my existence. He said Neytiri would love him instead, and that I would be nothing more than am embarrassing memory to the clan's history, and all traces of my existence would be erased over time."

"I basically responded by saying that if he touched a singled hair on Neytiri's head, that if she didn't kill him, then I would personally kill him. This only made him laugh in my face, but I didn't care. Two concepts existed in my mind at that point: Neytiri's safety and cold blooded fucking murder."

"It was then that he smiled that malicious smirk at me and then called to that blue painted gremlin who had run off to side when Tsu'tey got in my face. I looked up to this see this little bastard carrying a huge spiked warclub and a stone jar. The little turd laid the jar down, stuck an arrow in the jar and then used both hands to grip the club and level it above his head. On Tsu'tey's word, he brought that massive spiked club down into my stomach. Even on the first blow, he broke one my ribs. The little shit was stronger than he looked. Yeah, so he hit me two more times in the stomach area, guess that's how I got these stitches. I remember looking down and seeing one of my ribs poking out of the huge cut in my skin. The pain was dizzying and almost unbearable. "

"I was in massive amounts of pain, but slowly coming back to reality, when the two goons holding me knocked my legs out from under me and pinned me to the ground. Then one of them kicked me in the temple, and I opened my mouth in shock. The little painted guy stood over, with the jar in his hands. Whatever was in that jar smelled atrocious. Before I could think to do anything, such as close my mouth, the little bastard had dipped the arrow into the liquid substance within the jar, and then held the arrow above my head, letting two small drops drip down the shaft to pool at the tip, where they fell into my mouth."

"Me being the genius that I am, closed my mouth and swallowed on instinct. I was aware enough at this point to realize that whatever had just fallen into my mouth was not for the benefit of my health."

"Tsu'tey began to explain to me that I had about five more minutes of consciousness left, because I had just ingested two drops of the fermented Yayungi plant, which was highly toxic. Its effects were interesting, he said. Bastard. Apparently, it doesn't cause death, but causes the person to go into a death-like sleep or state of unconsciousness. With two drops it will not kill me, but he explains that it will make me barely alive and close enough to death to fool Moat, Neytiri and the other Omaticaya. Once they think that you are dead, then he would be the logical choice for olo'eyktan. With him being clan leader, the future Tsahik would have to be his mate, as per Na'vi and Omaticaya custom. "

"Tsu'tey then explained that he would not kill me personally himself, but make sure that my own people killed me. He explained that once the drug wore off, I would be buried. Thus, he had crafted for me the worst fate he could think of: being buried alive. He then asked me if there was anything I wanted him to tell Neytiri, considering I would never see her again. I blacked out right after that. Next thing I remember is coming awake in the Sampson."

Jake then turned his head to Max and Norm, a weird, quizzical expression on his face.

"I guess the idea of being buried alive is just as abhorrent on Pandora as it is on Earth. Tsu'tey seemed to think he was getting the ultimate revenge by doing that to me."

Jake's eyes suddenly widened and his mouth dropped open as realization dawned on him. He looked from Max to Norm, his eyes wide in questioning.

"Is that how you guys found me? Was I buried? Where? When? Shit…"

Max and Norm both nodded and Jake's face went back to staring at the ceiling. It was apparent from his expression and lack of speech that his mind was reeling from this revelation.

After several minutes of silence, Jake seemed to calm down and he seemed merely to be in a silent reverie. However, Max could tell otherwise.

Max could already see his eyes flicking back and forth, Max could tell, Jake was already forming a plan. Max touched Jake on the shoulder with both hands, and he leaned down to look Jake in the eyes.

"Jake I know what you're thinking, and I know this is Neytiri we're talking about, but you can't do anything right now, you're no good to her or the Omaticaya wounded. You have to heal."

Max could see the comprehension in Jake's eyes, and he knew that Jake knew he was right, but Max could still detect the extreme frustration going on behind Jake's eyes.

"And Jake, we also don't know the situation at Hometree, we don't what Tsu'tey's done so far, so you just can't go charging in there." Norm nodded in silent agreement with Max, but Jake still looked unconvinced.

Norm spoke up to alleviate Jake's apparent frustration.

"Look Jake, me and Max will do anything to help, including fight, you know we will, but if Tsu'tey's got Hometree under an iron fist, then we're going to need some reinforcements of our own. If Tsu'tey has full control with his army, then we have to have some troops to fight him with."

Jake turned to look at Norm.

"Yeah you're right, looks about its high time for me to get back on the toruk. Hopefully he'll still remember me." Jake paused, his expression thoughtful.

"I wonder….the other clans came to our aid before, and I think if Toruk Makto calls upon them again, well…..hopefully they will answer and fight with us once more." Norm nodded at Jake's words.

"If Tsu'tey has close to two hundred warriors with him, then your best bet will be to call on the other tribes for aid, but I'd be willing to bet that many of the Omaticaya warriors will not be pleased at Tsu'tey's power play and will be only two willing to join the side of their rightful olo'eyktan if you start a fight."

Jake nodded, and then looked between Max and Norm, his brow raised questioningly.

"Well…."

Max and Norm looked at each other, both at a loss for Jake's question. Jake rolled his eyes and then said in a slightly raised, more officious, Marine-like tone.

"Well, what the fuck are you waiting for, the tooth fairy? Get your asses moving and get my ass into an amnio tank, pronto! The sooner I get in, the sooner I get out, so let's move it. C'mon! We're burnin' daylight, here!"

Jake tuned his gaze back to the ceiling. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, shutting out the noise of Max and Norm calling the other doctors back in. Jake was concentrating all of his energy on sending out comforting and soothing thoughts to Neytiri through tsayhalu, through their bond. Even through the drugs, he could feel her presence in the bond, and now he concentrated with everything he had to send a promise of protection to her.

A/N: I found this chapter extremely difficult to write, I'm not sure what the deal was, but this plot section just was difficult to write. Well, I hope you liked it, but its okay if you hated it, I personally think it could stand for quite a bit of improvement, but I hadn't updated in so long that I really wanted to get something written, because if I didn't sit down and make time for this, then it wasn't going to happen with my schedule and everything. So I hope its decent. If it sucks please let me know. If you like it let me know. Either way, PLEASE REVIEW. They really MEAN A LOT. and they make me a better writer, which in turn benefits you, because what you're reading becomes more pleasurable and well written. Anyway, thanks for reading. Take it easy.

P.S. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!


	9. Heathen Throne

A/N: Sorry about the long time between updates. My new schedule completely blows. Anway, on the risk of complaing further, heres chapter 9. Enjoy. Read. Review. Enjoy. Review. Repeat Process.

**Heathen Throne**

There was no happiness to be found back at Hometree, and the days following Jake's funeral were the hardest Neytiri had ever experienced. She had grieved at her father's passing, but she had never known pain like the emptiness that dwelled within her heart after having laid Jake to rest.

It was apparent to Neytiri that this was to be a wound that never healed, that never closed, so that the burden of Jake's death would continue to torment her for the rest of her life. Neytiri knew this, but she also knew that she could find joy in her son or daughter, that part of Jake would live on through their presence, and that she would be proud to raise the son or daughter of Toruk Makto, even though doing so without Jake by her side would drive her to lifelong grief.

As Neytiri wanders around Hometree, her hands slip to her stomach and the slight bump that has formed there. The thought of her unborn child is the only thing that is capable of tearing Neytiri from her grief ridden daze.

Many have tried to talk to her. Moat has offered words of wisdom and consolation. Odo'khal had extended heartfelt apologies, Tsu'tey has assured her of how mighty Jake had been in life, and various other clan members had offered varying forms of encouragement and reverent claims of Toruk Makto's life. However, none of these succeeded in alleviating Neytiri's pain. Her grief stricken mind twisted their words such that their consolations seemed to be falsehoods and disingenuous. Her frustration and hurt made her want to lash out at them, scream at them and tell them that none of them had known Jake as she had, that they were not fit to make such claims of him.

But then she caught up with herself and reminded herself that they were only trying to help, especially her mother, who Neytiri knew to be suffering from the same potent grief as she was, since she had lost Eytukan during the fall of Old Hometree.

Presently, it is the fourth day since they laid Jake to rest under the fallen trunk of Old Hometree, and Neytiri emerged from her alcove, her eyes squinting in the noon sun, whose bright rays were penetrating the leafy cover of Hometree. Neytiri walked up the central spiral of Hometree, her head down as she climbed to the top branches, numb to those around her. Once she reached the top she veered down one massive branch that led to the ikran roost.

Two days ago, Jake's ikran, Smaug, had returned to Hometree. Neytiri had come up in the night for some peace and solitude when she saw her ikran, Swizaw, and Smaug sitting together on a branch. Smaug's neck was laid low on a branch and he barely moved, while Swizaw stood over him, as if watching over him. It was obvious to Neytiri that Smaug was aware of his master's passing, as his depression and refusal to fly, was apparent. It was just another reminder of the raw anguish surrounding Jake's absence.

Neytiri blindly made her way through the branches to find Smaug. Swizaw was out hunting, and she found Smaug sitting on a branch alone, away from the rest of the roost.

He looked up at Neytiri approaching, but made no hostile move or action. He merely watched her come closer, and only showed mild interest when she pulled a considerable piece of yerik leg from her belt and held it in front of him. He nipped it gently from her hand and retreated further onto the branch to slowly consume his treat.

Neytiri merely stood and watched Smaug feed. He looks how I feel, thought Neytiri, quoting another English phrase she had learned from Jake. In fact, Neytiri felt awful. She had kept up with meals, for the sake of her child, even though the last thing she felt like doing was eating. She hadn't slept in two days. Two days ago she was so exhausted that her body refused to go on and she had fallen asleep late in the night, curled up by a cooking fire.

When Moat had found her the next morning, she had scolded Neytiri, upbraiding her for sleeping in such an exposed position, with strangers and predators about. Neytiri merely sat up and stared into the smoking embers of the previous night's cooking fire.

Moat sighed and sat down next to Neytiri, her hands drifting to settle on Neytiri's shoulders. Neytiri showed no indication that she noticed Moat's touch. Moat stared into the embers as well, and took a deep breath before saying what she had been meaning to say to Neytiri for the past couple of days.

"Neytiri….Neytiri, look at me" Moat gently shook Neytiri's shoulders and Neytiri slowly turned her head to face her mother, but her eyes remained glued to the ground. Moat placed one hand onto Neytiri's cheek and patted it lightly. Neytiri's eyes slowly drifted from the ground until she gazed forlornly back at her mother.

"Jakesully is gone…I know in the deepest pit of your heart, that you know this and have accepted this, but you must realize it to be true. I know that thinking about it tears a fresh wound into your soul, but you must accept Jake's passing fully if there is ever any hope for making life easier for yourself." Neytiri silently stared back at her mother. Moat continued.

"Not long from now, you will be giving birth to a child, and you cannot act like this as a mother, your child doesn't deserve it and you cannot truly love your child if your mind is still burdened by great sorrow. You must learn to heal, for yourself and your child."

Moat watched as Neytiri's hands drifted down to her stomach, where her thumbs began to swipe patterns across her skin. Moat placed her hand over Neytiri's and closed her eyes.

"This child is your gift from Eywa, and from Jakesully. Don't squander this most wonderful gift."

Neytiri nodded slightly, the movement barely discernable. Moat knew that in some recess of Neytiri's mind, her message had been absorbed. It will take time, she thought.

Now, as Neytiri stood on the top of Hometree, letting the gentle breeze sooth her skin and whisper across her face, she realized the wisdom on her mother's advice.

Neytiri sighed. Jake was gone and yet the world moved ever on. The sun rose and fell each day, at night the stars stayed their course in the vault of heaven above her, and yet…nothing seemed real anymore, nothing was permanent, everything seemed transient and fleeting. The very essence of life seemed to be absent. It died with Jake, Neytiri concluded.

Neytiri was shaken from her reverie when a sharp blast of a horn sounded from below her. She leaned out over the edge of the branch to see an mass assembly of Omaticaya in the clearing at the base of Hometree.

The horn rang out again. Neytiri quickly turned around and descended the central spiral of Hometree. As she got closer to the ground, she became aware of a crescendo of voices. She couldn't make out the words or conversations yet, but it was clear to here that there was some great commotion going on at this impromptu meeting.

When Neytiri reached the bottom of Hometree, she could see clearly that the Omaticaya were gathered across the clearing. As she strode across the clearing, intent on finding out what was going on, she could make out the figures of Tsu'tey and her mother elevated above the crowd.

Neytiri realized they were standing on the altar where Jake's body had lain not five days ago.

Neytiri silently made her way around the edge of the crowd, heading for the alter. Her eyes never left Tsu'tey or her mother, who were in deep conversation with each other. As she skirted the edge of the crowd and got closer to the altar, Neytiri could see the blank expression on Tsu'tey's face, while her mother's countenance was much more tense and fraught with worry.

Some instinct roared to life inside of Neytiri's mind, telling her that all was not right, that something about this situation should make her wary.

As Neytiri watched the conversation, she felt a strong feeling beginning to grow in her mind. It was a feeling that seemed to be in the back of her mind. She felt something strange taking place, as if certain thoughts were coming into her mind, that she had not thought up. Flickers of images and emotions flashed by in her mind, leaving her slightly baffled. She felt sparks of anger, sadness, worry, and frustration flare up within her, almost as if her mind was trying to process her emotions along with someone else's.

Neytiri stopped. She closed her eyes, shook her head and took a deep breath and then let it out in a long sigh. She opened her eyes.

Tsu'tey was staring back at her. That's when it happened.

Suddenly Neytiri felt all the swirling emotions swiftly form into one seething mass of hatred and rise up in her, with at the same time, her vision faded and it was as if only her mind could see, even though her eyes were open. An image appeared in her mind, as clear as if it was right in front of her.

Jake's roar of rage and vitriol filled her ears and she saw in clear view his face, contorted into the snarling visage of fury. His eyes glittered with pure hate and his mouth was wide, his incisors bared.

In the recesses of Neytiri's mind, she felt herself as separate from this powerful vision, and she was shocked into silence by the suddenness and ferocity of its appearance.

Then it was gone. She was back in the clearing, surrounded by her tribe, she was still staring into the emotionless eyes of Tsu'tey. He turned to look back at Moat, who had not noticed Neytiri's arrival.

The vision had only lasted a second. But Neytiri knew it had happened, she had seen Jake as clearly as if he had been standing in front her. The emotions that had so quickly risen like molten fire within her had just as swiftly receded into the murky depths of her mind.

Neytiri stood there, rooted to the spot, utterly perplexed by the meaning of the vision. As a Tsahik in training, she was supposed to be able to have powerful visions, and this one had not been her first genuine vision, but as she replayed Jake's dimming snarling image in her mind, it felt different to her, not like the visions she received from Eywa. It felt less ethereal, and more real. It had seized her mind and emotions unlike any spiritual vision could. It had been closely linked to her own emotions and intuition.

Then it hit her. She was experiencing part of Jake through the bond. Neytiri wasn't sure quite how it worked, or when it happened, but it was known that mated pairs absorbed elements of their mate's thinking and instincts into their own mind, after tsayhalu had been made. The unique mental dichotomy made it such that mates could sense elements of emotions and feelings of each other even when separated.

Neytiri had noticed herself thinking at times and it being Jake's voice that was talking inside her head. Sometimes she would inwardly laugh at something and it would be Jake's raucous, resonant laugh that filled her head. One time she had been confronted with an unsually difficult day of Tsahik training, and she found a voice in her head saying, in Jake's sarcastic tone

"Outstanding….."

But Neytiri had never felt anything this strong before, nothing had ever come through the bond that was that clear and powerful. How could it be, she thought to herself. Jake was dead, and that should mean that the bond should be gradually fading. But the emotions she had felt had seemed strange and not her own, somehow separate…...then she thought about when she had looked at Tsu'tey, the vision had struck her mind like lightning, searing through her consciousness and filling her mind with a roar and the overwhelming sense of Jake's presence. Not to mention the image.

As soon as her eyes had locked with Tsu'tey's and his had shown recognition of her, the murky and opaque emotions swirling in her mind had focused so rapidly into a seething roil of anger and fury. How? Why?

Neytiri was shaken from her thoughts by her mother's voice. Even though Neytiri was staring straight at where Moat and Tsu'tey stood on the altar, Neytiri had not registered at all that her mother had turned to face her and was trying to get her attention.

Neytiri saw her mother motioning for her to come to her.

Neytiri walked the rest of the way to the altar, and with a nimble jump that belied the great agility she possessed; she reached the top of the altar, walking to stand by Moat and Tsu'tey.

Neytiri looked between Tsu'tey and her mother. Tsu'tey gave a small nod, and the smallest hint of a smile appeared on his lips. Neytiri turned swiftly away, as she felt a strange stirring of emotions once more at Tsu'tey's gaze. Moat was looking out over Neytiri's shoulder, as watching for somebody. Neytiri gently tapped her mother's shoulder and asked the question that had been on her mind.

"Mother….whats happening? What is this assembly for?". Moats eyes snapped into place and locked with Neytiri's. Moat took her hands and put them on Neytiri's outstretched hand, gripping it firmly. She looked into her daughter's eyes, and Neytiri could see a dilemma going on in her mother's mind. When Moat spoke, it seemed to be greatly controlled and her tone was much more of her Tsahik voice, rather than her motherly tone she used when talking to Neytiri.

"Daughter, you must understand…the tribe…the Omaticaya must go on, we must flourish. " Seeing Neytiri's look of confusion, Moat continued. "Jakesully is gone…and he was olo'eyktan." Moat paused when she saw realization flood Neytiri's expression.

Neytiri opened her mouth to speak, but she fumbled with words before she quietly asked.

"Who?".

Moat turned to look and Neytiri followed her gaze, seeing that it landed on Tsu'tey, who stood apart from them, facing the crowd , with his head bowed.

Immediately an internal war broke out between Neytiri's mind and her emotions.

Neytiri knew in her mind that Tsu'tey was the best person to lead the Omaticaya in Jake's absence, as he was trained all his life for the position and there was no better warrior in the clan than him. Tsu'tey was Omaticaya and had even been olo'eyktan for a short time between Eytukan's passing and the great battle, where he had been assumed dead. Neytiri knew all this to be true and knew that since the Omaitcaya did in fact need a leader, a olo'eyktan, that Tsu'tey was the best choice.

However, her heart was not so calm. Neytiri's emotions swirled about, and she was bombarded with strong sensations of anger and frustration. She was angry that Tsu'tey would steal Jake's position away from him, that it would happen so soon. She was frustrated that Jake was not here to defend his title, to stand up for himself.

Neytiri stood there, her face clearly depicting the conflict that was occurring within her. Moat saw this. She knew all too well the feelings and frustrations that Neytiri was feeling. When Tsu'tey had ascended to olo'eyktan after the fall of Old Hometree and Eytukan's death, Moat had been surprised, even in her grief, by the bitterness she held against Tsu'tey for taking Eytukan's position within the clan. She had shoved her emotions aside though in face of the imminent war that loomed above them, like dark clouds encircling them.

Now, Moat had lived to see the unfortunate day in which her daughter would have to suffer the same anger and bitterness, only to have to push it aside in recognition of the clan's need of a leader. Moat sighed and turned away to face the crowd, only wanting to get this process over with and cause her daughter as little as pain as possible from it.

Moat waved her hands in the air, gesturing for the crowd to be silent. All eyes turned to her, and after a few moments the last murmurs of the crowd died.

Moat lowered her hands and clasped them together behind her back. She observed the crowd for a few seconds before speaking to them in a loud and firm voice.

"Five moons ago, Jakesully….Toruk Makto, your olo'eyktan was taken by Eywa be with her". At the sound of Jake's name, many Omaticaya let out murmurs of praise to the name of Toruk Makto.

"He cannot be replaced and his name and deeds must never be forgotten. He will live on in songs and tales of great valor and strength. Many years from now, Omaticaya children will hear the story of Toruk Makto leading us to victory over the skypeople" There were small cheers from the crowd. Moat stared at them all.

"But even the mighty Toruk Makto can lead us now…he is gone….his task is done. Another must take his place." Moat went silent as she let the meaning of her words be absorbed by the crowd. She walked closer to Tsu'tey, who was still standing, facing the crowd, with his head bowed.

"But as unfortunate as Jakesully's passing is, we already have an olo'eyktan in our midst." Moat placed her hand upon Tsu'tey's shoulder. A few whispers ran through the crowd.

"Tsu'tey was our olo'eyktan for a short time already, and in Jakesully's absence, has the rightful claim. He cannot be denied that claim, unless all the clan denies him. If a olo'eyktan falls out of power for any reason, the entire clan must agree to him retaking the position." Moat stopped and raised her hands above her head in a gesture to the entire assembly.

"Do you agree? Will you have Tsu'tey as your rightful olo'eyktan?" There was a dull roar as a chorus of "yes" rose from the crowd. Moat noticed that the voices sounded dissolute and resigned, as if they knew her words to be right, and Tsu'tey to be the rightful leader, but none of them wanting to let go of the memory of Toruk Makto as their olo'eyktan. Moat sighed, lamenting the fortunes of war.

Moat reached down and grabbed Tsu'tey's forearm, lifting his arm above his head in a gesture of recognition.

"As your tsahik, I present you with your olo'eyktan, may your prayers go out to him so that he may he lead us well, for we need It in these past few months, in these dark days."

Tsu'tey gently but firmly tore his arm away from Moat's grasp and brought his hands to link in font of him as his eyes finally lifted to meet those of the crowd. He paused as he surveyed the group, taking them in. When he spoke, his voiced boomed out over the clearing, his voice carrying to the top boughs of Hometree.

"I am Omaticaya…..I was your olo'eyktan…..I am now your olo'eyktan, but not easily, nor readily do I submit myself to this position. It is with a heavy and reluctant heart that I take this position in Jakesully's death."

His voice twisted the last word so that its echoes hung over the crowd like a menacing shadow and everyone paled at the still raw pain surrounding Jake's passing.

"I will carry on Jakesully's memory and his wishes for the Omaticaya. I will continue his work, where he found a new Hometree, I will continue in his steps and make it truly into a home of our people. I will do what I can to remove the dark stains of pain and misery that have hung over this past year. We will move on and we will continue with our lives, making the Omaticaya that much stronger." At these last words, he pumped his fist in the air to emphasize his statement, but he was only met with lukewarm cheers from a few members of the crowd. Tsu'tey's confindent expression faltered and he stepped back from the edge of the altar slightly.

Moat stepped in and spoke, with her hands in the air, gesturing for the crowd to disperse.

"You heard your olo'eyktan. Get back to your families and your hunting, go now."

The crowd began to slowly shift and break up. That's when Neytiri noticed Odo'khal standing at the back, leaning up against a tree. His eyes never left Tsu'tey as he watched the other male leap down from the altar. Neytiri watched as Odo'khal silently observing Tsu'tey with a expression of calculating suspicion. Neytiri shook her head slightly. There was more that went on behind Odo's eyes than anyone gave hime credit for, for she could see that he was clearly as disturbed by Tsu'tey becoming olo'eyktan as she was. However, Odo'khal and Jake had been close friends, she thought to herself as she walked to the edge of the altar and leaped down to the soft grass covered clearing, stumbling slightly as her foot hit a small hole. She quickly regained her balance and dignity.

A voice in her ear startled her.

"Careful jumping like that Princess Neytiri, we wouldn't want anything happening to the heir to Toruk Makto, would we?"

Though Tsu'tey's words were dressed in the sound of genuine concern, in some part of her mind, the words were twisted and she recoiled from his voice.

In her haste to get away from voice which seemed to her to be right in her ear, she stumbled again, this time almost falling. Tsu'teys hands shot out to her shoulder and arm to halt her fall.

Neytiri's skin erupted into sensations of discomfort and tension at the touch of Tsu'tey's hands on her. She heard Tsu'tey chuckle softly at her sudden clumsiness, but is seemed to her to be cruel laughter. Inwardly she was screaming for him to let go, though she was not in pain.

Suddenly, there was a tremendous guttural snarl and a great rush of air that washed over her. There was a great flap of leathery wings followed by a cry from Tsu'tey and he immediately let her go, where she stumbled out of his grasp and stood up. Tsu'tey was crouched over, his hands clutched to his cheek. Neytiri saw a small trickle of blood spread out from between his clenched fingers.

Neytiri looked around in time to see Smaug land gracefully in the lower branches of the tree in the clearing. The same tree that Odo'khal leant up against.

She turned back to Tsu'tey who had stood up and was dabbing a cloth at a nasty gash that ran the length of his jaw. He had a look of complete shock on his face.

Neytiri backed away over towards the tree where Smaug was perched. She went to stand next to Odo'khal, who was now watching Tsu'tey with grim amusement plastered on his face.

Neytiri did not speak, she was still trying to process what had happened and why, but she merely contented herself with observing Smaug, here apparent protector, which was a concept that only confused her further when she combined this incident with the vision she had earlier. She sat there thinking, and glanced between Tsu'tey and Smaug.

Tsu'tey was now walking over towards them, his hand on the hilt of his knife. He got within about twenty feet before Smaug let out a small roar and spread his wings wide in a threatening gesture. A low hiss escaped from his throat and he bared his rows of needle sharp teeth at Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey looked between Smaug, Odo'khal and Neytiri. He slowly took his hand from the hilt of his knife, turning on his heel and stalking off.

Neytiri watched him go, her confusion only heightened.

She missed as Odo'khal took a scrap of yerik meat from belt pouch and tossed it straight up into the branches above him.

Smaug's neck craned out slightly as he neatly snatched the piece of flying meat out of midair, his jaws snapping shut around with frightening power. He swallowed the chunk in one piece and proceeded to follow Tsu'tey's retreating form with his predatory yellow eyes. He let out a last hiss in warning, and his teeth gleamed white in the afternoon sun as he bared them.

* * *

A/N: Not my best work, not at all. I'm sorry if it sucked chode, but honestly, I really wanted to get something published, and, in addition, this wansn't my favorite chapter to write, so I wanted to get it done with. Sorry. If it sucks, tell me about it, completely lambast the shit out of it. If you liked it, tell me why, so I can continue whatever you liked. Either way, let me know what you thought. So, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.

I dont want to beg, but I will if I have to, PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks, take it easy


	10. By the Dividing Stream

A/N: Yeah, so this chapter was supposed to be around 1,00 words, not much, but it just grew and grew as the scenes appeared in my head. Enjoy. Review. Repeat.

Disclaimer: I don't own shit about this story, I'm just manipulating preexisting characters and plot lines.

**By the Dividing Stream**

Two months had passed since the funeral at Old Hometree. Two months since Neytiri had sung Jake's death song. Two months since Moat had offered the final prayer. Two months since Odo'khal had pawed the last heap of soil onto Jake's last resting place, forever obscuring him from the rest of the world.

Two months had passed, and Neytiri had accepted Jake's passing, but her affirmation of reality did little to stem the tides of grief and loneliness that washed over her mind. Though she put on a mask of healing to her mother and the rest of the clan, her pain was constant and throbbing, such that it became a fixture of her waking existence, and all things in her consciousness related back to Jake's absence.

The only places Neytiri found solace were in her dreams and hunting in the forest. She could no longer hunt riding Swizaw as she was now far enough along in her pregnancy that riding an ikran became unwise.

In her dreams, Neytiri could envision Jake, and pretend for a short, blissful time that he was still alive. Though it broke her heart every time to wake up and realize the delusion she toiled under, clinging to Jake's memory and envisioning him still alive comforted her, if only for a short while in her dreams.

But when Neytiri went hunting, even her grief could not completely suppress her huntress nature, and the concentration and lethal prowess that came so naturally to her inherently blocked her grief from her mind as she focused on the kill. Her mind worked seamlessly as she nimbly and stealthily maneuvered the forest, stalking her prey. The very actions of hunting were so ingrained in her that her body operated, drawing her mind into the action, and drafting its concentration on the task. Neytiri could always feel the world slip away as she set up a shot, no matter the time or place.

She drew her bow to sight, notched a shaft, drew back the string and exhaled as she let the shaft fly. The shaft found its intended mark right behind the yerik's front quarter, between the leg and the chest. The sharp, stone tipped arrow buried itself deep into the chest of the animal, snapping a rib and lodging itself in the heart. The yerik fell to the ground, all motor functions lost as the massive trauma set in. Neytiri rushed to the yerik's side, slowly swiping her hand across the animal's forehead, as if calming it before she plunged her blade deep into the animal's heart, causing instant death.

The words of the taronyu's prayer flow from her mouth in a slightly sing-song voice, her tone reverent for the bounty she has partaken by the yerik's death. She thanks the animal for his body, for the life it will give to her and her people.

Neytiri wiped her blade on a leaf and then sheathed it on her chest. She pulled the arrow from the creature's heart and put it back in her quiver.

Neytiri looked over her kill. The yerik, though not small, was still light enough for her to carry back. She couldn't risk dressing the carcass out here because of predators. She was too far from Hometree to make a hurried escape with a half cleaned carcass if a wayward pack of nantang appeared, or worse a Palulukan. With that in mind, Neytiri bent down grabbed the front two legs of the yerik with her left hand and the other two with her right, lowering her head and swinging the creature onto her shoulders. She stooped slightly to pick up her bow, where she had dropped it. She stood up, adjusting the weight of her payload on her shoulders, then stepping out with a will into the dense foliage.

Neytiri made her way back through the forest just as the early afternoon sun began its descent from the apex of its arc across the sky.

The forest was filled with the sounds of life, and few creatures noticed as Neytiri passed by, slightly panting from the exertion of carrying the carcass on her shoulders. Being the stubborn person she was, she refused to stop and rest, wanting to get back to Hometree as soon as possible and be done with her task. Also, she wanted to keep going so as to give any potential predators as little time as possible to catch the scent of her kill and catch up with her.

Even with her kill weighing her down, Neytiri's steps were still light and nimble, only the most observant of Na'vi could track her in the depths of the forest. With a sad smile on her face, she remembered how Jake use to run through the forest trying to find her, hopeless in his efforts, but never giving up until she pounced him or she let him find her. He never let it bother him, he was just always happy to catch up with her again.

Neytiri sighed. Now that the hunt was over, her mind was left to wander back to realms of sorrow as memories of Jake came flowing back into her mind, borne on a stream of thoughts, a current of images, sensations and sounds, constantly coursing over the ragged edges of her mind.

She tried in vain to shut out her emotions and focus simply on the task of carrying her burden, concentrating on the exertion and her breathing, but her mind betrayed her attempts and Jake's face once again appeared in her mind, sporting a toothy grin as he chuckled about something. She couldn't help smile slightly as she remembered Jake's laugh, it being one the things that had endeared him to her in the first days since their meeting.

Neytiri shook herself out of her reverie as she noticed that she was getting to the edge of the forest, and was close to Hometree. She adjusted the weight of her bounty once more and stepped forward into a small clearing.

She had stepped right into a camp full of Tsu'tey's Kyllteyka Na'vi. The clearing had several small structures made of branches cut from trees and large na'ryaso leaves. Situated around a large cooking fire were eight of these strange Na'vi. They were roasting a yerik over the fire on a spit. All of them were gazing into the fire, and fortunately for Neytiri, the smoke of the fire obscured her from the view of those who were facing her. They spoke in low tones, and their words were so strange and foreign that she could not understand anything that they were saying.

By the looks of it, they were all taronyu. Neytiri knew she had to get out of here. She began to quietly retreat back into the forest, slowly backpedaling so as to melt into the forest once more.

The snap of a twig under her foot caused all eight of the Kyllteyka taronyu's heads to snap up and they spotted her immediately.

All eight of them jumped up with weapons in hand, some with spears, and some with knives. The largest of the group said something in a low voice, followed by a low, coarse laugh that sounded to Neytiri like the scratching of Palulukan claws on rock.

He turned to the others, gesturing with his spear at Neytiri, saying something in their strange tongue. He turned back to her, his tongue flitting out across his lips and a strange devious light entered his eyes. They began to advance on her, spreading out in a fan shape, with the biggest one advancing straight towards her, his spear held out to his side, as if he was harmless, but the tone of his voice and his eyes were truth to his intentions..

Neytiri did not need a knowledge of their language to know from body language and instinct that these Kyllteyka knew her to be Princess Neytiri and that whatever purpose they had in mind was not benevolent.

Neytiri decided the best defense was a good offense, laughing slightly to herself at the phrase that Jake had used so often when preparing for the battle, before she let out a small war cry and crossed the gap between her and the Kyllteyka taronyu in a split second and sent her heel careening into the biggest one's eye. He let out a scream of pain and rage, dropping his spear. The other eight stopped in their tracks, momentarily stunned by Neytiri's attack, and seeing their apparent leader dropped to the ground in a single blow…by a pregnant female.

The leader screeched something and pointed at Neytiri from his position on the ground. Neytiri ran through the gap she had created by dropping the leader and into the trees ahead. She turned around to see if the Kylltekya were pursuing her. She let out a small scream of surprise as she ran into something solid…big.

Two massive hands grabbed her arms to steady her as she stumbled slightly after rebounding off of whatever she had hit.

She looked up to see Odo'khal staring back at her, his large eyes full of concern and worry.

"Princess, are you hurt? What happened? I heard you cry out" His words came out slightly strangled as he frantically looked over her for wounds. Neytiri tried to speak but kept on looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was chasing her. Odo'khal followed the direction of his gaze.

Neytiri looked back up at Odo'khal's face and saw something she never saw in the giant Na'vi's usually placid and gentle features. The ridges and contours of his face were turned up in anger and fury. Saying nothing, he merely picked Neytiri up as if she were a feather and set her off to the side. With his hands clenched in fists like boulders , he strode forward into the midst of the Kyllteyka camp.

The Kyllteyka taronyu cowered and backed away slightly as the massive Omaticaya warrior slowly advanced on them. Some had their spears held out in front of them, as if to ward off Odo'khal if he came too close. The leader of the group had recovered from Neytiri's blow and seemed to be the only one of standing his ground in the face of Odo'khal's approach, although his face betrayed the fear he obviously felt.

Odo'khal stopped directly in front of the leader. When Odo'khal spoke, his normally low and jovial voice was now like a low growl rumbling up from his cavernous frame.

"You are all lucky that the Princess gave you cause not to hurt her, because if anyone of you had touched a hair on her, I would have killed every single one of you with by bare hands. You are not Omaticaya, I have no qualms about spilling your blood."

Several of the Kyllteyka taronyu visibly gulped and Neytiri could see the sweat drop down the forehead of the leader as he attempted to stare down Odo'khal. His voice stammered as he meeked out a reply, his accent thick.

"We are th…the…ppp..personal so..soldiers of the olo….olo'eyktan, if you h..h…harm us, h…he wi..will put you…to..to….death!". Odo'khal smiled a toothy malevolent grin. The leader's face blanched, his pale blue skin going even paler.

For one so large, Odo'khal moved with lightning speed. He had crossed the small gap between him and the leader in a half an instant and sent one of his massive hands plowing into the leaders chest, palm flat, like a small battering ram. The leader gave a low grunt of pain as for the second time in a short while, her was knocked to the ground. As he fell, Odo'khal's head snaked out and grabbed the leader's hand that held his spear. Odo'khal wrenched the spear form his grasp. As soon as the leader hit the ground, Odo'khal had the spear at the leader's throat.

Odo'khal looked around, and he pointed to the other seven of the Kyllteyka, who looked dubious about the prospect of helping their leader from the clutches of this giant, enraged Omaticaya warrior.

"Drop you spears and knives, all of you!" Odo'khal's voice came out quiet but imperious. The seven Kyllteyka complied, immediately, all of their weapons landing neatly at Odo'khal's feet. Odo'khal smiled grimly and turned back to the leader who was staring in fear at the spear point poised at his throat. Odo'khal began to speak to him in a mock friendly voice.

"G'harku isn't it? Yes, I remember you from when you and your Kyllteyka scum first showed up. Now as a dutiful commander, you're going to give the orders to these taronyu and any of your other tribesmen that you do not interfere in Omaticaya affairs, nor do you attempt to harm any of the Omaticaya. Oh and do me one favor" Odo'khal then quickly bent down over G'harku and his face twisted into an expression of pure predatory power, his voice dropping into a low roar.

"Stay away from the Princess!" Odo'khal looked up at the other seven Kyllteyka.

"That goes for the rest of you too" Odo'khal then turned back to G'harku and smiled a deceptively sweet smile at him.

"Good night…" He then swung the spear butt down onto G'harku's head. G'harku gave a grunt and then fell unconscious.

Odo'khal took G'harku's spear and held up for the other seven taronyu to see. They watched in horrified awe as Odo'khal snapped the spear like a twig. He then proceeded to snap all of their spears. He took the two knives and stuck them into his belt. He looked up at the seven Kyllteyka and pointed at them.

" If catch any one of you laying a finger on an Omaticaya, especially the Princess here, it will be your bones I break rather than your spears."

With that he turned around and strode back over to where Neytiri was standing, she having watched the whole ordeal with awe plainly written on her face. Odo'khal merely sighed.

"Come Princess Neytiri, I think it is time for us to have a talk with the Tsahik." He ushered Neytiri ahead of him until they were out of the forest.

Once they were out of the forest and into the clearing surrounding Hometreem Odo'khal walked beside her. Neytiri looked over at Odo'khal and saw his face was tensed in concentration, and once again she saw the Odo'khal's intelligence was underestimated, as it was clear to hear that he was actively working through something in his head and imagining all the different possibilities.

She hated to break him from his thoughts

"What are we going to do, Odo? Tsu'tey has let these Kyllteyka roam free on Omaticaya lands. He has them do none of the work, and yet they eat with us every night now, taking part in the kills that Omaticaya taronyu have made." Odo'khal merely looked down at her before stopping, and then turnig his around back and forth to make sure nobody was listening.

"Listen, Neytiri, I have been keeping close watch on this whole situation, and I have observed all that you have seen…and more, but in the end, we are not strong enough to act now." Odo'khal paused as he saw the look of confusion on Neytiri's face, and he hastened to explain.

"The Tsu'tey that flew off in the final battle to fight the Sky People is not the same Tsu'tey who strode out of the forest two months ago. He is different, I know you have noticed. Something happened to him while he was gone from us. Don't you see? He is using these Kyllteyka like an army. There are more of them than we have warriors, so we cannot risk any action against them."

Neytiri continued to stare at him, running the images over in her mind of the past two months. She remembers how Tsu'tey had announced that in the name of unity amongst clans, the Kyllteyka would now be unofficial members of the Omaticaya. Then Tsu'tey had claimed that they needed more food in case of an attack or drought, such that the taronyu would have to hunt twice as much. She remembered when one Omaticaya taronyu spoke up, asking what the Kylltekya taronyu will be doing, and why they cannot help with the hunting. Tsu'tey had replied that they will be guarding Hometree in case of an attack. She remembered how many of the Omaticaya had looked dubious at Tsu'tey's words, but many of them saw that they were outnumbered and they kept silent. Odo's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Tsu'tey is not ruling as a olo'eyktan should. He is acting more and more like a warlord, and he know he can use the power of the Kyllteyka numbers to make us do what he wants. The warriors and taronyu of the clan cannot risk their families falling into Tsu'tey's clutches if they are slain rebelling against him." Neytiri nodded at his words, and then absorbed them meaning of them.

"Odo….have you spoken to other clan members about this? The Taronyu? The warriors?" Odo'khal gave subtle nod.

"I have, there have been several meetings in secret where a large contingent of the hunters and warriors have expressed their unhappiness with Tsu'tey, for they see through his ruse. He used Jake's death to seize power again." Odo'khal stopped suddenly as he saw the pain flash across Neytiri's face at the mention of Jake's name.

He put out his hands to Neytiri in an apologetic gesture.

"Neytiri, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking….I didn't think what I was saying….I…." Neytiri cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry about it Odo, I'm fine. Besides Jake would not have stood for Tsu'tey's demands. He would have done something about it, and we should follow his example, and figure out some sort of way to deal with Tsu'tey." Odo'khal began to walk forward again, gesturing Neytiri to follow.

"I think it is finally time we involved the Tsahik in this matter". Neytiri nodded.

As they walked across the clearing, they passed another group of Kyllteyka warriors sitting on the stone altar, talking and laughing amongst themselves in their strange and foreign tongue. Neytiri saw that Odo'khal was watching them also, as they passed by. Neytiri couldn't help but to voice her curiosity.

"Where do the Kyllteyka come from? They are so strange and they do not have the same laws or customs as other Na'vi. I've never known a clan of Na'vi to be so hostile." Odo'khal did not answer immediately, but rather made sure until they were out of hearing range before turning to Neytiri and sighing.

"None know the full history of the Kyllteyka nor where exactly they come from, but they are from somewhere beyond the plains, where few travel and none dwell. There is nothing in that land but heat and desolation. Somehow Tsu'tey found them, and brought them into his service and then traveled back to the forest." Neytiri turned to stare at the ground, wondering what happened to the proud warrior she once knew, and how he had come to be at the head of an army, attempting to subdue and enslave his own people. After a silence, Odo'khal continued and as is reading her mind, he explained further his idea of Tsu'tey's deeds.

"I think he somehow made it down to the lands south of the plains. Only the wisest of the People know of these places, even though few ever travel there. It is said that there are immense rocks in this desolation, such that they tower into the sky like Hometree does for us." Neytiri looked slightly awed as she imagined a rock the size of Hometree.

"From what I gathered from some of the elders, the Kyllteyka moved into vast caverns within these rocks, and live in there, only venturing out to hunt. It is said that they got their skin color because they live without the sun from living underground. That is why you never see them out in great numbers until night, until the sun has gone down." Neytiri nodded, listening intently to whatever Odo'khal could tell her about these strange Na'vi. Odo'khal pointed ahead to indicate that they were nearly to the Tsahik's alcove before continuing. Neytiri had not even noticed the climb up Hometree she was so focused on the conversation.

"How Tsu'tey was able to bend the Kyllteyka to his will, I don't know, he may have offered them food and water, both of which are scarce in the desolate lands."

Before they could speak any further, the object of their animosity came striding out from Moat's alcove. Tsu'tey saw them both standing on the central spiral staring at him. He seemed momentarily surprised before walking towards both of them, a smirk planted firmly onto his face.

Odo'khal stopped in his tracks, his eyes never leaving Tsu'tey's as they stared at one another, trying to get the other to submit. Neytiri looked away from Tsu'tey, staring at the ground, lest she makes eye contact with him and have another vision.

Tsu'tey passed by them, heading down the central spiral of Hometree. Odo'khal did not turn back to Neytiri until Tsu'tey was completely out of sight. He gently pushed Neytiri towards Moat's alcove.

"Princess, go ahead and tell your mother what we have talked of, I am sure she has noticed it also. I will stay and make sure you are alone in your conversation and that Tsu'tey does not overhear…he is cunning, and his wrath would be terrible if he caught wind of our ideas."

Neytiri nodded and then turned to walk into her mother's alcove. She gave one last glance at Odo'khal over her shoulder. He nodded and she turned and entered her mother's alcove.

Her mother was seated next to a large stone basin where she was pummeling leaves and roots into a fine dust for healing medicines. Her mother did not look up from her work when Neytiri entered, but Neytiri knew that Moat registered her presence. Moat stopped her grinding reached a hand into the basin, sifting through some of the chunks of plant material.

"It is strange that you come to talk to me at this time, when it is I who have great need to speak with you." Neytiri stood in the doorway, looking puzzled. However, before she could ask her mother what she needed to talk to her about, Moat continued, gesturing Neytiri to sit across the stone basin from her. Neytiri complied, listening to Moat as she sat down.

"Daughter, you have always been a faithful servant of the Omaticaya, and I know you realize that your place as Tsahik will be extremely important to the clan." Neytiri paused before speaking.

"I know this mother, I know that the Tsahik is a valued part of Omaticaya life and tradition." Moat looked up at Neytiri as she spoke the last word. She looked at Neytiri with a sad expression.

"Ah, tradition….once again my daughter, you cut right to the point. It is tradition that we so love in this clan, and it is tradition that we so desperately need. The coming of the Sky People and the Great Battle did so much damage to the People, that customs and traditions were turned upside down, and in the face of tragedy, some were forgotten. But, Neytiri, it is those traditions that the People live off of, and crave. The People want solidarity and normalcy amongst the Omaticaya once again. They want to forget the memories of war and slaughter, and they turn to their storied traditions and customs to do that."

Neytiri could only nod at her mother's words, as she agreed with her mother's wise words, but she was still unsure of what all of it had to do with her. She fumbled with words slightly before asking hesitantly.

"I am still confused, Mother. I understand your counsel…..but what does it have to do with me?" Once again, Moat stared at her with a sad expression. She sighed deeply before continuing.

"Neytiri, I am not too much longer before my time to join Eywa comes. I will not always be around to take care of the People, you must do this. You must help them to recover from this war, so that generations from now, when your child's sons and daughters live, it is only but a bad memory. These wounds must be healed, and one way you can help is to re-establish the order and balance within clan life. "

The sorrowful expression combined with some intuition of her own, Neytiri felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was starting to gain some sort of terrible feeling about all of this. She looked into her mother's eyes, searching them for some clue or hint of trouble. She saw only sadness and regret.

"Mother, I still don't understand". Moat sighed once more and then resumed her pummeling, speaking over the slight noise.

"As Tsahik, there are certain customs that surround your position, and if you truly want to help the clan and serve the Omaticaya as you have, then you must observe those customs and fulfill them."

Neytiri's brain was rapidly sifting through the ramifications of her mother's words before it hit her. She shot up into a standing position, backing against the wall. She looked down at her mother in horrified disbelief as she struggled to respond.

"You can't possibly mean…Mother….how could you even think that I would do that?

Moats face was full of sadness but also her jaw was set and she was resolute in her claim.

"Neytiri, in only a few more moons, you will give birth to a child…..a child that will need a father…..and it is law that the Tsahik is paired and mated with the olo'eyktan". As she said these last words, she looked up into Neytiri's. She was only saddened by the fury she saw there.

"In case you forgot mother, I was mated to the olo'eyktan! I was fulfilling my role before he was taken from me." Moat stood and walked over to Neytiri, reaching out a hand to rest on Neytiri's shoulders, but Neytiri violently swatted it away.

"Don't touch me…..you have just violated Jake's memory and insulted Jake'ite." Neytiri stood there, regaining some of her composure before continuing.

"Mother I know you are greatly saddened by the loss of Omaticaya traditions and the stability of our existence, but I will mate with Tsu'tey to preserve those things. I did not want to mate with him when I was his betrothed and now…now I would rather die, than to do such a vile thing."

With that, Neytiri stormed off out of the alcove, swiftly and angrily brushing past a confused looking Odo'khal.

Once she had descended the central spiral of Hometree, she ran to the forest, showing no regard for stealth or quiet, she ran through the trees. Tears silently made their way down her cheeks as she ran on in a blind emotional storm of rage and sorrow.

After about an hour's worth of running, she made it to her intended destination: the stream where she and Jake had visited so often together, the one where they probably conceived their child at. It was the same stream at which she had told Jake that she was pregnant. As she looked out over the tranquil, flowing waters of the small river, she could almost see Jake splashing around in happiness. She smiled at the memory.

Neytiri came to rest on a small ledge above the waterfall that cascaded down into the stream. She indulges in the feeling of the spray of the rushing torrent of water lightly misting over her legs. She sits down and put her hands between her knees.

She does not cry. She had cried enough tears over the past two months. She resolves in her mind, that she should carry on, as Jake would have wanted her to. She was at war with herself though. Part of her never wanted to move on, part of her wanted to stay as close to Jake's memory as possible, even if it hurt her, even if she never healed. She must carry on, for Jake and for her child. She must do all that she can for their child.

She silently and slowly laid down on the grass covering the ledge. She closed her eyes, letting the soft roar of the waterfall and the late afternoon sun lull her to sleep. She is almost in the realm of dreams when another type of roar makes her eyes snap open.

She does not sit up as she sees the source of the roar above her, far up in the skies. It may be high up, but she can still tell the Toruk from all the other flying animals because of its size and distinctive shape. She watches as the massive flying predator makes its way across the high afternoon skies. The toruk is very high up, yet when it roars again as it passes into the distance, Neytiri can hear it loud and clear.

The sound reminds her of Jake. It is the sound of a mighty beast, the supreme predator of the skies, just like Jake. She finds it somewhat strange that she is taking comfort in the ferocious hunting cry of a vast winged predator that strikes fear into the bravest of Na'vi hearts. Somewhere in her mind, her intuition confirms her idea. The Toruk is a good omen for her, she concludes, as she is slowly claimed by sleep, her grief and exhaustion finally catching up with her.

* * *

A/N: Once again, I feel like this is not my best work, but I am relatively pleased with it. The next chapter is sort of extensive so I might take a while to write that one, and Im going back home, back to the freakin' sticks, where internet is spotty at best. Anyway, I really can't thank you all enough for reading. Please, I beg of you though, please, REVIEW. REVIEW! Seeing that little review alert email in my inbox really does wonders when you're stuck writing bullshit papers. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW...please?


	11. Treacherous Gods

A/N: Its amazing how much work on a fic you can get done of you are doing that instead on writing assigned papers. I love procrastination. Anyway, chapter 11. ENJOY. REVIEW. REPEAT PROCESS.

Disclaimer: Avatar, blah blah blah blah James Cameron. I own nothing.

**Treacherous Gods**

Neytiri was roused from sleep by the low calls and screeches of creatures in the surrounding forest. Some animals were calling to each other, one calling, the other answering, and their movements in the treetops shook the branches of nearby trees.

She went to move her arms but she encountered some sort of strange woven mat thrown over her body. She felt the material and rubbed it under her fingers. It was fuzzy like plant fibers. Then Neytiri suddenly recognized the object. When she had visited the Sky People Home after the battle, she and Jake had walked through the labs to the link chambers and his personal quarters. He was sifting through his meager personal belongings to see if there was anything he wanted to keep from his old life or anything that would be useful back at Hometree.

Neytiri had been grimly fascinated with sky people's home, and a combination of natural curiosity and interest in Jake's life experiences had made her ask questions about all sorts of sky people objects and devices. When in his small bunkroom, she had seen where he had slept in his tawtute body. She had actually laughed when she saw the cramped and sloppy bunk he packed his body into. It had seemed so ridiculous to her as compared to the open and free nivi he slept in now.

She had pawed some of the bedding and felt the material, strangely entranced by how soft it felt. She held up a olive drab colored blanket to Jake.

"What is this?" She had asked. He took it from her and stuffed it into the bag he was carrying all useful items in, the ones he would choose to take back to Hometree. Jake merely shrugged as he explained its function to her.

"It's called a blanket; it's something tawtute uses to keep warm when sleeping. Its like a woven mat, except you put it over your body."

Neytiri suddenly felt a chill whip across her body as slight night breezes wound around the ledges of the waterfall. The chill of the wind caused her to shiver, and wrap the blanket back around her shoulders.

Then it hit her. She had not come up here with this blanket. How was it on her now? Who had snuck up on her in her sleep and put it on her?

She then berated herself for letting anyone be able to sneak up on her in her sleep. She concentrated trying to think how this could have occurred. Her confusion was greatly increased as she heard the rustling of branches in the trees on the other side of the clearing.

Neytiri let her eyes adjust to low, but vibrant light of the bioluminescence of the forest. Though it was night, once her vision had adjusted, she could see quite well. Her eyes scanned her surroundings for any predators.

The noises stopped. She sighed, looked up and saw that Polyphemus, as Jake had called the massive father of the skies, was only slightly above the horizon, indicating that the night was still very young. Still, she did want to be caught out In the forest at night.

She had not meant to sleep past dusk at all. She knew the forest to be perilous at night, when Palulukan lurked through the trees and roaming packs of Nantang scurried through the forest, searching out stragglers and picking them off from edges of their respective herds.

However, even though it was night, Neytiri knew she could make it back to Hometree with practiced ease. She knew that many of the game trails, which predators followed, did not travel near here, but stuck closer to the edges of the lake and the larger rivers running into the lake.

After scanning the trees once more for predators, she rolled the blanket into a bundle and made the small jump from the ledge to the ground below. She landed with a soft thud, her graceful form bending to absorb the impact.

As soon as she hit the ground, the rustling in the trees became crashing as something trundled off into forest, away from her. She paid little notice to it, probably just a herd of yerik or a lone angtsik. She figure that whatever predators were around would follow the noise of whatever was crashing through the undergrowth instead of searching her out.

She left the clearing with the blanket tucked under her arm, and she gave one last look back over her shoulder at the beautiful place of solitude she had come to enjoy greatly. She merely sighed and then walked into the forest.

The bioluminescence radiated from a myriad of plants and fungi that coated virtually every surface, with the light reflecting off of the thick canopy above, such that the path back to Hometree was effectively lit up for her to follow. She stepped out onto the path and followed it with nimble and silent feet. Her footfalls were light and she passed unnoticed through the night forest, her dark cerulean skin mixing in the dark green hues of plant life illuminated by bioluminescence.

She made good time back through the forest, thought she took more time to stop and make sure she wasn't be stalked by a predator.

Though still wary and cautious of her steps, the journey was becoming more dangerous for her, as she felt more exhausted by the minute. She now deeply regretted staying out after dusk, as she was now exposed and she knew it was the extra burden of her unborn child that was making her exhausted from the journey. She had not eaten since morning, and she had ran the entire way to the waterfall that afternoon, after spending a morning hunting, course. She had not realized how much she had exerted herself.

Though she still walked forward, her eyelids began to feel very heavy, with them falling shut every five minutes or so. At which point, Neytiri would shake her head vigorously, as if trying to physically shake off sleep as if it were some sort of physical assailant.

She had slowed down now to merely walking, and her eyelids had begun to droop very low, when for that second time that day, she was shoved into wakefulness by the roar of the Toruk.

Neytiri is all the more surprised this time, as the Toruk is never seen or heard at night. It is a daytime predator.

She instinctively ducked as, even through the thick and well lit canopy above her, the great din of flapping, leathery wings reached her ears. She heard the sound of the wings, flapping, and it faded as the toruk passed farther away. She could not see it, nor any part of the night sky for that matter, because of the massively thick canopy above her head. She merely stands there and listens as the sounds of the great beast's flight across the sea of treetops dies in the distance.

After recovering her composure and realizing that she was wide awake now, Neytiri resumed her former pace through the forest, lightly trotting amongst the trees in a swift but light stride. She soon found herself on the outskirts of Hometree, and she noticed with quiet satisfaction as she was able to easily slip past the Kyllteyka guards set up at the edge of the clearing.

She merely made a quiet nantang call in the underbrush near one of them, but it was loud enough for both of them to hear. The other guard had come over to the other one and they had begun to blather on in their strange tongue, their voices sounding frightened. When the other guard left his post, she had doubled back slightly then slipped through gap created by his absence.

Once in the clearing, she stood up and resumed a normal walk, but after that morning's encounter with Kyllteyka taronyu, she kept a wary eye out for any large groups sitting around. No sign of life showed in the clearing, and she made it across without event or a sighting of any Na'vi, Kyllteyka or Omaticaya, which she was glad of, for she had no desire to entertain harassment or questions about her where she had been.

She was nearly about to start up the central spiral of Hometree, when the sound of arguing reached her ears. Suddenly, there was a shout and a female Na'vi cried out. Neytiri swiftly placed the blanket on the ground, and grabbed a young hunter's training bow that was leaning against the trunk of Hometree.

Swiftly and silently, Neytiri skirted the massive trunk of Hometree, melting into the shadows and passing unnoticed by two other Kylltekya guards. She reached the other side of the trunk to find a sight that twisted her stomach and caused her to inwardly groan.

The same eight Kyllteyka taronyu that she had come to blows with earlier that morning were fanned out around a cooking fire, their spears pointed inward…at a male Omaticaya and what looked to be his mate and two children. The male, a taronyu Neytiri knew to be called T'gali, stood in front of his mate, who huddled the children to her. T'gali stood his ground, even in the face of the Kyllteyka spears.

Neytiri then notices a huge yerik carcass deposited by the fire. T'gali has his hand on the hilt of his knife, which is sheathed in his belt.

Neytiri can catch bits of pieces of the argument as the Kyllteyka laugh cruelly at T'gali and his cowering family. She sees T'gali take a step forward and make a move to pull out his knife.

"This is my kill, and it is to feed my family, not roving thieves like yourselves. The olo'eyktan calls your soldiers, but I call you scum."

She then watches as the leader of the group, none other than G'harku, step forwards and pushes T'gali to the ground roughly. He then grabbed the leg of the yerik kill and began to drag it, the other seven Kyllteyka taronyu joining in to help steal a magnificent meal.

G'harku did not make it four steps before Neytiri had crossed the clearing and swung her bow in a huge arc, letting it connect solidly with his nose.

His head shot back from the blow and a small fountain of blood erupted from his nose. He let out a sharp cry, stumbling back and tripping over the yerik carcass.

Once again, the other seven Kyllteyka stood in stunned silence as their leader was dealt a hefty blow by an angry pregnant female.

G'harku was quicker to recover this time though and shouted for his comrades to seize Neytiri. They mobbed her and seized her roughly by the arms. Neytiri struggled heartily, but in vain. She was firmly secured between four sets of arms.

Her chin was then grasped in a grubby embrace and was yanked back so that she stared directly into the eyes of G'harku.

In addition to the giant black eye she had given him and the massive bruise that swelled across his chest from where Odo'khal had punched him, his face was now smeared in his own blood, and his nose looked crooked and broken.

G'harku leaned in and spoke to Neytiri, his accent thick and rough.

"Well, if isn't…..the Princess. I will have to pay you back for my eye and my nose. I can do it too, especially now that your giant friend isn't here to protect you anymore. You've humiliated and interfered with me for the last time…where I hail from, the women knows to obey and not to interfere. " G'harku then smiled a wicked smile at Neytiri. She recoiled from his breath, which was nothing short of putrid as it washed across her face as he spoke.

"I will gladly instruct you in obedience…..I look forward to it".

Suddenly, there was a roar from behind G'harku, and Neytiri watched in grim awe as Odo'khal's massive form appeared from the shadows of Hometree like some primordial monster borne of the depths of some dark dream.

In the darkness that surrounded the scene, the combination of darkness and the flickering shadows thrown onto Odo'khal's skin by the cooking fire made the image of his terrible charge all the more terrifying. There was the light of pure bloodlust in Odo'khal's normally gentle golden eyes.

Neytiri saw G'harku's evil smirk quickly contort into an expression of terror as he turned around to face this new threat.

G'harku had time for one short scream before Odo'khal's massive fist connected with the side of his head.

There was the sick thud of the blow, then a sickening crack as G'harku's head snapped back at a weird angle, his neck broken.

G'harku was dead before he hit the ground.

Before any of the other Kyllteyka could respond, Odo'khal had kicked one of the taronyu in the stomach, sending him flying into a tree, grabbed another by the arm and had literally thrown him into the underbrush and then headbutted a third with devastating force, crushing the taronyu's skull in a split second, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground.

Then with a low growl, Odo'khal rounded on the four holding Neytiri. Once they see that Odo'khal has turned his bloody wrath on them, they immediately released Neytiri. They stumbled backwards desperate to get away from Odo'khal. He merely advanced on them, stopping only momentarily to grab Neytiri by the arm and push her behind him.

One of the Kylltekya taronyu gave a rousinig cry, his voice loud and some strange call rings out across the clearing.

His call was cut short as with blinding speed and terrifying accuracy, Odo'khal whipped one the Kyllteyka knives from his belt and threw it, sending it straight into the taronyu's neck. The three remaining taronyu stared, horrified at the knife lodged in the throat of their fellow clansman. They then watch in terrified silence as Odo'khal draws his own knife from his back sheath. Though it was twice the size of any regular Na'vi knife, he still wielded it in one hand.

Odo'khal's lips turned back to reveal his fangs as he smiled at his remaining foes. He whipped the massive blade around and crouched so that he was in a fighting position. He had the knife blade faced away from his hand and was ready to sweep it in deadly arcs across him. It was a fighting technique that Odo'khal had learned from Jake himself, who, with his Marine Advanced Close Quarters Combat Training, was the resident expert on knife fighting amongst the Omaticaya.

Odo'khal watched in grim satisfaction as at least a dozen more Kyllteyka warriors pured into the clearing from the edge of the forest. It was simply more of them for him to slaughter, he thought to himself.

Nyetiri also became aware of the groups of Kyllteyka warriors pouring into the clearing from all sides. From her position around the cooking fire, where she was huddled with T'gali and his family, she cupped her hands to her mouth and let out her own cry, which was an official Omaticaya battle call.

"Foes! Foes! Arise Omaticaya! Arise taronyu! Arise Tsamsiyu!" Her voice resounded off the boughs of Hometree. She repeated the call several times before she heard answering calls sifting down through the branches.

Neytiri turned back to Odo'khal and let out a small cry as she saw him, knife in hand, facing off against at least fifty Kyllteyka warriors, all with their spears pointed at Odo'khal.

She knew he was massively strong, but he could not win that kind of fight. He had to see that. They couldn't lose Odo. Not now.

"Odo! Stop! You can't fight them, its too many of them" Odo'khal merely barked out grim laughter in response to her plea. He jumped forward slightly and laughed grimly as he saw all fifty Kyllteyka warriors flinch and jump back visibly.

Then, the chaos of the situation escalated as almost all of the Omaticaya warriors came pouring from the back of Hometree, while the rest of the full contingent of Kyllteyka came marching up the hill from the lake, breaking into the clearing in a long skirmish line.

The Omaticaya warriors hesitated slightly, centering their mass around the base of Hometree. Most had their bows drawn and arrows notched on the strings. Their faces were grim and set, and Neytiri could see the light of battle in many of their eyes. She knew that mnay other them were ready to make a final stand against the Kyllteykan invaders.

However, many of them slackened bowstrings, when they realized they were outnumbered by about seventy to eighty warriors. They merely stood with their backs to Hometree, facing outward in a defensive perimeter.

The full force of the Kyllteyka warriors had broken off into two groups, with one facing the Omaticaya warriors and then the other joining in on surrounding Odo'khal, effectively cutting him off from the rest of the clearing.

Neytiri could see the fierce lights of battle still present in Odo'khal's eyes but she saw the his knife was lowered and he had risen up out of the crouched battle ready position. Even in his rage, Odo'khal knew that he could not win this fight.

Suddenly, a large vine dropped from the lower branches of Hometree. It landed on the ground near Neytiri. She could only watch in despair of the situation as Tsu'tey himself descended the vine swiftly, landing on the ground with a thud.

He swiftly strode out to where the Kyllteyka were gathered facing the Omaticaya warriors. He spoke to one of the taller taronyu in their strange tongue. The taronyu pointed to the carcasses of G'harki and the other slain Kyllteyka and then at Odo'khal, gesturing stabbing motions with his spear.

Tsu'tey said something else to the taronyu and shook his head. He then called out to the other Kyllteyka.

"Kyllteyka, sa'khash! Tsamsiyu dhvud sha'kra!" There were several cries of what sounded like protest from the Kyllteyka, but on a repeating of the order from Tsu'tey, the mass of taronyu and warriors parted, and they raised their spears in a non-threatening gesture.

Odo'khal looked around, with knife still in hand, and a confused expression on his face. Tsu'tey looked at Odo'khal and raised his hands impatiently.

"Odo'khal, I have just done you the courtesy of saving your life from a rapid mob of these Kyllteyka, who want nothing more than revenge for the death of three of their number…the least you can do is put the knife away." Odo'khal nodded slightly, showing only that he heard, not necessarily meaning that he would comply.

After a few moments of hesitation, Odo'khal did sheath his knife, but as he walked through the parted crowd of taronyu and warriors, he kept his hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of the knife sheathed on his lower back.

When he reached the base of Hometree, he automatically moved to stand amongst the massed Omaticaya. Neytiri moved to do the same, and she slowly backed towards them.

Somehow, Tsu'tey sensed her movements and his head whipped around. He sighted her immediately and he smiled a demented grin at her. For some reason, it caused her to stop in her tracks.

Tsu'tey turned around and began to walk slowly towards her. He never broke eye contact as he shouted out to Odo'khal.

"Odo'khal I must thank you, because you saved me a job myself, as I have learned that G'harku laid hands on Neytiri." He paused to look up at Odo'khal and then back at Neytiri. "I would have killed him myself if you hadn't beat me to it. Nobody touches Neytiri….she is mine."

At this moment, Moat comes striding around the base of Hometree. She then spots the bodies of the G'harku and the others, and her face becomes a mask of anger. Her eyes land on Tsu'tey and she walks towards him, her voice hoarse as she yells.

"Tsu'tey! What has happened? How could you let killing occur at Hometree? What kind of olo'eyktan are you? What have you brought back with you but trouble and wild, evil Na'vi." She paused as she stopped in front of Tsu'tey, whose face had twisted in annoyance at her words. Moat pointed out at the mass of Kyllteyka warriors and taronyu.

"They are evil, wild, Na'vi with no laws or morals….why would you bring them to us? To here? To your home? They have brought nothing but evil upon us. They have no respect for Eywa or her will."

Finally something in Tsu'tey snaps and the mask of annoyance drops to reveal a cold countenance of anger and rage. He spits at Moat's feet and then brings his hand across her face with terrible force, slapping her to the ground.

Neytiri lets out a cry of rage and goes to lunge at Tsu'tey but suddenly Odo'khal once again has a firm grip on her arm and she is not able to move. She squirms and writhes in his grasp, but to no avail. Neytiri can only watch in anger as Tsu'tey stands over her mother, laughing cruelly.

"Eywa…don't talk to me of such filth. Her will is but the delusions of the Tsahik. Where was Eywa and her will when I was lying wounded on the forest floor after having fallen from skies from a sky people kunsip? Where was Eywa when I tried to make my way back to Hometree with four of the small tawtute swizaw lodged in my chest? Hah! Eywa is dead to me…"

Moat could only look up in horrified silence as she put a hand to a bleeding lip and listened to Tsu'tey's words. She was clearly shocked by his words. He saw the shock and horror apparent on her face and he took that as a sign to continue his tirade.

"This is my clan now, and I will rule as I see fit. I will create my own clan customs and beliefs, and I will no longer have to deal with the failing god of my weaker elders. If it wasn't for me, you'd all be stuck under the rule and spell of that accursed dreamwalker. I am Na'vi. He was alien scum….Jakesully was….." Neytiri cut him off, with the rage that dripped from her voice even shaking some of the Kyllteyka warriors, who seemed surprised that such vitriol could come from a female.

"Jake was Toruk Makto! He was a thousand times the warrior you will ever be!"

Something in Neytiri snapped. Primal huntress rage boiled over within her. She broke free of Odo'khal's grip and lunged at Tsu'tey, who was caught off guard by her swift blows to his stomach. However, he recovered quickly. He reached out and grabbed Neytiri's arms, staying her attack.

She merely growled at him and tried to bit one his hands. Tsu'tey roughly pushes her to the ground and steps back from her.

In a split second, Odo'khal was at Neytiri's side, his hand behind his back resting on the hilt of his knife. Both he and Tsu'tey glare at each other, as if daring the other to make a move.

Tsu'tey relented and stared down at Neytiri, who was still seated upon the ground where she had fallen. She had both of her hands rested on her slightly swollen abdomen, feeling for anything wrong and regretting giving Tsu'tey an excuse to hurt her. She glared at Tsu'tey as he pointed a finger at her.

"You will forget about Jakesully…you are mine now, and I will not have his filth pollute my clan. I will not have him mentioned to the children you will bear me." He smiled wickedly at Neytiri's horrified expression in response to his words.

"Oh yes, Princess…you were originally supposed to be mine, and I will have you…..and you will give me many heirs. You are lucky I compassionate enough to adopt your child, the abomination that you created with a dreamwalker, and raise it as my own, raise it to be worthy of Na'vi royal blood."

Neytiri shot up at his words, her teeth bared and a hiss coming from her throat. She drew her knife and waved it at him menacingly.

"If you ever touch my child….I will run you through with my blade".

With that she turned around and hobbled over to where Moat still sat upon the ground. She crouched down to eye level with Moat and spoke to her in a gentle voice.

"Come, mother, we must get you back up to Hometree, back to your alcove. Come now, I will help you." Moat stood on her own but her eyes were slightly glazed over with a look of shock and she absentmindedly followed Neytiri through the crowd of dispersing Omaticaya. The warriors and their familes were returning to their beds, re-ascending Hometree.

As they walked amongst the crowd, Neytiri heard several warriors utter laments about the fact that Toruk Makto was not here, and how if he had been here, he would make the whole filthy mob of Kyllteyka flee in terror before the Toruk. Nyetiri couldn't help but smile to herself slightly as she agreed with them.

When they reached the alcove, Neytiri led Moat inside and gently pushed her down onto her small moss covered bedding. She then gathered a skin from the corner of the alcove, seeing how full of water it was and then pushing it upon Moat.

"Come, mother, drink some, it will help you to feel better." Moat did not look at Neytiri but merely shook her head.

"Nothing will make me feel better, my daughter. I have done a terrible thing to allow this to happen. I was so blinded by my desire to bring balance and order back to the Omaticaya, that I was blinded , and I was willing to accept any help I could get, including Tsu'tey's."

Moat then turned to her daughter, and locked eyes with her.

"Daughter, I am so sorry for letting Tsu'tey take power, and I am so sorry that I suggested that it was your duty to mate with him. Once again, I wanted so badly to bring some sense of normalcy back to our tribe that I didn't see the monster I was allowing to grow in our midst."

Neytiri sat down on the bed next to her mother, putting her hands on her shoulders, trying to send a soothing touch through them, to try and relax her mother.

"Come now, mother, there is no way you could have forseen this, we were all blinded after Jake's death, and Tsu'tey used that to his advantage to make his move for olo'eyktan. Rightful claim or no, that Na'vi has no business being the leader of any other living creature.

Moat nodded in agreement. She turns to her daughter once more and places on her hands on her daughter's hands on her shoulders.

"I know we will find a way through this, a way to survive this chaos, but I cannot help but think that….well….I really wish Jakesully were here right now."

Neytiri merely nodded, blinking back a few tears

"Me too, me too…..."

* * *

A/N: Ehhhh, I've seen better endings. I've seen better writing, but I'm not going to deny it, because its the product of extreme procrastination. Its amazing how much motivation you have to write something you want to when you assigned with wrting about something stupid. Anyway, its an okay chapter, guess it sort of represents a turning point in the story. Anway, PLEASE REVIEW. Listen, I really do appreciate you reading my fic, but just take a few extra minutes and let me know what you think of it, PLEASE REVIEW. REVEIW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Dude, seriously, I love getting that little alert in my email. Even if someone is totally ripping my writing my story to shreds, I love it. REVIEW, goddammit!


	12. Iron

A/N: WOW...long time in between updates. I suck, I know. I really am sorry, but I have been really busy and even though I have this entire story's plot written out, I had a serious case of writers block, when it came to filling in the details. Anyway, here is the (hopefully long awaited) 12th chapter. I know I've been a bastard by not updating, but I would love to see some reviews! I love reading them, good or bad, and it inspires me to write. Let the record state that reviews=updates. That sounds like extortion, I know, but its totally true. I'm going to write this story either way, but the optimist in me (very small) thinks and hopes that people will like it. Anyway, have fun. Read. Review. Repeat.

Disclaimer: I bow down to thee James Cameron, and offer up my lame plotlines for thine own legal scrutiny, so thoust may see that copyrights I have infringed not.

**Iron**

The dawn's pale pink light illuminated a scene at Hell's Gate, where a lone Na'vi was running laps around the perimeter of the base. His long braid bounced up and down in time with his even and quick strides. His breathing was labored but controlled, and a slight sweat slicked his forehead. When he reached the main facility again, having completed his fifth circuit around the perimeter, he stopped and leaned over, putting both hands on his knees.

Jake felt like he was training with Neytiri all over again, except it was he who was inflicting the pain on himself this time. The month and two days he had spent in the amnio tank had successfully healed all his wounds and various traumas, but it had been hell on his endurance and stamina.

His once thickly calloused feet had softened so that his first days out of the tank had been painful, he could barely step outside onto the tarmac without wincing. That combined with his muscular atrophy, he found the first week out of the tank a very painful experience, as he regained basic muscular function and his feet toughened up some.

Finally he decided to speed things up a little bit. He had implemented a exercise regime to get him back into shape. So he figured the fast track to making his feet tough again was to run on the asphalt of the tarmac. Bad idea. In the first two days, he could only do two circuits of the perimeter before his feet were raw.

Now, after four weeks of toughing it out on the tarmac, his feet were once again coated with a callous layer similar to rhinoceros skin.

Once Jake had caught his breath, he sat down for a second on the wide steps that led up to the main entrance of the base. He merely sat there, letting the sweat run down his face, but at the same time, soaking in the rays of the early morning sun, letting their radiant warmth spread throughout his body.

He let out a deep sigh. He wondered if Neytiri was watching this same sunrise. She had always gotten up before him, and usually around the time of the dawn, so he wondered what she was doing right now.

He sat there basking in the sun, his eyes closed, as he sent soothing and loving emotions through the bond to Neytiri. He had no idea whether she felt them, but he sent them all the same, for he felt terrible not being there protecting her, helping her through this tough time and her pregnancy.

Jake's thoughts then switched to what Tsu'tey might be doing to her or the Omaticaya, and his blood began to boil. He immediately stood up, his resolve cemented as he realized he had to be back to his prime physical condition if he was going to fight Tsu'tey. With that in mind, he headed off to the Avatar driver rec room, where there was a Na'vi sized weight room. He laughed slightly at what the Omaticaya would say if they saw a fellow Na'vi lifting heavy weights for the hell of it.

Truth be told, Jake's conditioning had paid off and he was past his previous level of physical conditioning. The fact that his Avatar body was very young and quickly developed muscle mass combined with his access to a state of the art weight room made it so that Jake had actually gained quite a bit of muscle mass in a short time.

He hadn't noticed though, he was solely concentrated on becoming bigger, better, stronger, so that when he finally came face to face with Tsu'tey, he would have the strength to tear that bastard's throat out with his bare hands.

However, Jake thought as he belted out a set on the inclined bench press, Tsu'tey had a whole army with him, so he would need more than his bare hands to get the job done.

As Jake finished with the set, he sat up and took a break, taking time to ponder this. He knew he could most likely get assistance from the other clans, but he didn't know what the state of weapons amongst the Omaticaya would be under Tsu'tey's rule, nor did he have any weapons of his own. Thus, he came to the conclusion that he would have to improvise something. Especially for his own weaponry.

The problem was, Jake thought, as he powered through 20 reps on a rowing machine, was that there was virtually no ammunition left for the guns that the RDA had left behind. Much of the ammo on the base had been spent in the final battle, much to the doom of many a Na'vi, pa'li and ikran. Thus, Jake would have to fight this battle without guns.

Just then he looked out of the window in the weight room that looked out over the tarmac. He was amused to see Max and Norm standing out on the tarmac, doubled over laughing as they attempted to make the remotely controlled AMP suit do what looked like the moonwalk. They were both taking turns on the giant remote control to make the AMP suit do some strange maneuver, both laughing as they failed.

Jake chuckled to himself as he watched the antics of the pair. Then it hit him. The AMP gun,

Most AMP suits came with a large remotely held Browning 10mm MAW (Manually Automated Weapon). It was basically the same large, heavy machine gun that was fitted onto the top of Bradley and Stryker vehicles back on Earth. But Jake wasn't interested in the gun, since there was no ammo for it. Each one of those guns had a massive, half serrated bayonet affixed to the bottom. Bingo, Jake thought.

As Jake entered the hangar, his gaze swept across the vast piles of machinery that lay in disarray around the vast space. He spotted two AMP suits at the far end of the hangar, near the outer doors, that lay on their sides.

Jake made his way through the few remaining Sampsons to where the AMP suits lay. Jake paid no attention to the fact that Norm had obviously scavenged parts from these AMP suits as their internal wires and components were strewn all about the surrounding hangar floor. He wasn't looking for any chip or apparatus.

The closest AMP suit lay on its side, with its arms laid out beside it, facing away from where Jake stood. Jake walked around the hulk of the once operational battle suit. He groaned inwardly when he saw the empty space on the MAW gun where the bayonet should have been affixed.

Jake checked around the wreckage of the AMP and sifted through small piles of rubble to see if the blade had been removed and laid aside. He couldn't find it. Jake stood up and walked over to the second AMP suit, which lay face down.

"Shit" Jake uttered as he saw that the AMP's MAW arm lay under the bulk of the incapacitated machine.

After pushing and pulling on the collapsed AMP to make sure it was resting in a stable position, Jake got down on his stomach, crawling along the cold polished floor of the hangar until he was under the AMP suit, right next to the MAW gun.

Though the light in the hangar was low, and being lodged under eight tons of AMP suit didn't help, Jake could see the light reflecting off of the serrated edge of the bayonet, causing the blade to gleam. Jake scrambled backwards, out from under the AMP suit.

Luckily for Jake, the AMP suit's MAW arm had twisted as it fell, pointing the bottom rail of the MAW gun on its side, thus shielding the bayonet from damage or breakage upon impact with the hangar floor. The bayonet appeared undamaged and all that remained was to find a socket wrench large enough to dislodge the bolts holding the blade affixed to the lower rail of the MAW.

Jake looked around on the AMP suit to see if there was an onboard service or maintenance kit, which might contain the socket wrench he needed, but no such kit could he find.

After pausing for a second to think, Jake realized where he could find what he needed: the machine shop.

Back when he was an Avatar driver, he had heard Trudy talking about the machine shop, and how the mechanical wizards that worked there could fix anything. She had said that the 'mechs', as they were less than fondly known, never saw the sun, and stuttered when they spoke, were awkward in social situations, but they could fix anything from a two speed dirt bike engine to the Pulse Detonation Scramjet engine on the Valkyrie Shuttle. Too bad one of the mechs wasn't still around, Jake thought, maybe he could have gotten him to rig up one of the broken AMP suits, that would be useful.

No such luck, Jake thought.

Jake had never been to the machine shop himself, having no reason to do so, but he knew it to be located under the hangar, only accessible by a freight elevator.

He looked around, turning in circles, searching the walls and floors for any indication as to where the entrance to the freight elevator might be. After seeing no sign, Jake began to walk along the closet wall towards the back corner of the hangar, hoping to come to the entrance, or some switch for the elevator on the wall.

After having passed through rows of wreckage and various piles of shattered modules and electronic components, Jake noticed the sign for the freight elevator on the complete opposite side of the hangar. He rolled his eyes and cursed his luck.

The freight elevator subsisted of a huge section of the floor, at least 50 feet across, with enough room for an entire Samson gunship to be lowered down to the machine shop. The entire elevator was controlled by a touch panel on the wall closest to the elevator.

Jake walked over to the panel and was slightly put off by how many controls and buttons there were.

"It's an elevator…how many goddamn buttons does it need?" He thought to himself. His eyes roved over the panel, examining each little holographic display for the separate buttons and controls, half of them and their functions escaping his notice.

Jake's patience finally ran out and he slammed his fist into the display, pressing several buttons at the same time. He was tired of trying to figure out an elevator that only the 'mechs' could operate, but when the elevator lurched downwards, he instantly regretted his rash action.

The display he had smashed his fist into started to flash red, and the elevator made an awful groaning sound. Jake registered it as the sound of metal tearing on metal. The elevator shifted again, lurching downward even more.

Suddenly, the floor shifted beneath Jake's feet and the elevator panel slowly began to tilt to one side, and Jake felt his footing slowly begin to slip.

Then the elevator rumbled again, and he could hear giant gears turning and the whole panel began to lower.

As soon as the elevator had begun to lower, the tilting of the whole floor panel had stopped and Jake stood, with his knees bent, and his arms out, balancing himself as he stood there, carefully riding the elevator down into the machine shop.

Finally after a tortuous minute long ride down into the dimly lit machine shop, the elevator grinded to a halt, with the whole elevator flooring panel tilting crazily as it refused to rest in the depression in the floor below it, instead sitting up above the floor by about three feet.

Jake nimbly jumped down to the floor of the machine shop from the high side of the elevator. He gave a low whistle when he saw damage on the elevator.

Apparently, when he had jammed his fist into the control panel, he had caused the elevator's operating computer to try to execute several functions at once. This had caused a huge gear operating one of the steel cables to shift into a position occupied by a smaller, but still large gear. The larger gear had pushed the smaller one into the central support pillar of the elevator, cutting into it and destabilizing it, causing the elevator to tilt crazily. The descending hydraulic pillar had crushed the smaller gear as it came down, lodging it in the pillars many folded hydraulic sleeve, causing the elevator to stop short of the floor on its downward progress.

Jake inwardly marveled at the fact that he had absolutely mangled an extremely complex piece of equipment just by pressing the wrong buttons.

He turned his gaze from the elevator to look around the machine shop. He peered through the dim light and gloom to see that the shop was a narrow but long space, running the length of the hangar above it. Giant central columns ran the length of the space to support the ceiling above. Rows of toolboxes and repair machinery lined the walls.

Jake looked over to his left and saw a breaker box with a power witch configuration adorning the wall. He walked over to it, examined it for a second before finding the main power switch, which was a large lever.

Jake pushed the lever from its 'off' position into the 'on' position.

Instantaneously, the machine shop became brightly lit by long rows of fluorescent lights lining the high ceiling and the low roar of hundreds of machines coming to life could be heard.

Jake blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the newfound brightness.

When his eyes had become acquainted with the light, he looked around the shop, poking through various tool boxes and work desks until he found the proper sized socket wrench.

In the course of his search, Jake had discovered al large machine that would definitely come in handy: A precision laser cutter.

It was a machine designed to hone edges and cut precise shapes out of sheets of metal. After examining the list of programs that occupied the screen of the main terminal that ran the machine, he discovered that it was the exact machine used to re-sharpen the edges on the combat knives and bayonets used by the AMP suits. It was precisely what he was going to need once he got the bayonet off of the MAW arm of the AMP suit in the hangar above him.

Jake had also discovered in his search of the machine shop a small door in the wall with a sign above it reading in stark white letters: "PERSONNEL ELEVATOR". Jake marveled at the irony and after having retrieved the proper socket wrench, he stepped into the regular sized elevator.

The elevator had a simple lever on the side of the wall pointed up or down. Jake rolled his eyes before pushing the lever into the up position.

One short and smooth elevator ride later, Jake stepped back into the hangar, not far from the gaping hole in the floor where the freight elevator had resided not long ago.

Jake jogged back over to the AMP suit, and once again resumed his position on the floor, crawling on his belly until he was once again situated under the AMP suit.

He made short work of the bolts connecting the bayonet to the MAW arm and before long he was pulling himself out from under the AMP suit with one hand gripping tightly the lower haft of the bayonet.

Once he was standing again, he pulled the blade up to his gaze and examined it.

It was long, but was perfect sword length for a Na'vi. His eyes followed the curvature of the blade with grim satisfaction. The upper half of the blade consisted of a straight edge, curving off at the top, while middle quarter of the blade formed a vicious set of teeth in a serrated fashion, and then the bottom quarter ran down to the end in a straight edge. There was a section near the bottom that thinned out and was flat and unmolded. That section was probably two feet long and was intended to be connective plate where the bayonet would connect to the MAW arm and it would make a perfect space for a grip.

Jake rode the personnel elevator back down to the machine shop, where he set the blade down on a workdesk and set about examining the other machines, trying the find a machine to construct the grip and one that applied carbon alloy finishes to the blade so that it would be virtually weather proof.

Jake worked at one of the machines to fashion the grip out of a very tough silicone. He manipulated the mold to his grip and the proper length of the shaft before releasing the liquid hot silicone into the mold. Jake inserted the lower end of the bayonet into the mold, so that when the silicone hardened, it formed around the metal to make the grip of the weapon.

After the grip had formed and cooled, Jake put the blade under the laser cutter to hone the edge down until it was razor sharp. After the machine was done cutting the blade, Jake took it out of the cutting chamber and brushed his right thumb across the blade as he held it.

He had barely pressed down on the blade at all as his thumb had run lightly run along the edge, yet there he stood, with a significant cut in the pad of his thumb.

Jake licked the blood from his thumb and smiled in grim satisfaction at the lethal edge of the blade. All that was left to make the bayonet into a sword was to apply a finish to the blade that would protect it from the elements, specifically from rusting. Even though the polished steel was resistant to oxidizing already, the special carbon alloy finish would increase the longevity of the blade's chemical composition to almost indefinitely.

It was going to take at least 30 minutes for the machine to apply the finish, so while the machine worked, Jake walked around the machine shop and examined the various other pieces of machinery and equipment left behind.

While poking around the back corner of the shop, Jake saw several sheets of thin metal leaning against the wall. He examined some of the smaller pieces and determined they would be the perfect thickness and weight for cutting knives out of.

Jake had been forming his strategies and battle plans in his head the past few days and he had realized that he would need some form of gift to give to the other clan leaders if he was to call on their help once again. He knew that the other clans had suffered great losses during the Great Battle and he needed to give them something in return for their service and to gain their aid once again.

Jake had envisioned that a ultra strong knife given to each clan leader would be a excellent gift to give as a token of friendship between clans. Besides, these knives he was going to make were going to be much sharper and stronger than any Na'vi knife.

Though he knew it would never come close to making up for the lives lost in the battle for freedom, he hoped that something as simple, but as strong as a knife would serve to indicate his allegiance to his fellow clans and that he is able to do something useful with his sky people technology and heritage.

Jake heard an alarm going off, indicating that the machine applying the carbon alloy finish is done in its task. Jake grabs one of the sheets of metal to take back with him. Ideas on the formation and designs of the knives already filling his head.

Jake removed the newly created sword from the machine and held it up, watching as beads of light ran up the razor sharp edge as he brought the blade close to his eyes, so that he could examine it.

His eyes ran over the cold steel, and his thoughts turned to how he was going to use this blade to run Tsu'tey through with if he had done anything to Neytiri.

Once these thoughts entered his head, Jake, in a gesture of rage, swung the blade around in a circle and practiced a few thrusts and parries.

He focused his anger on imagining Tsu'tey on the receiving end of one of his strokes. He swung the blade at chest level, pivoting on his foot to bring the blade around in a circular slashing maneuver.

"Shit, Jake!"

Jake had not noticed that Norm had snuck up on him standing behind him and had nearly decapitated Norm with his circular swing. Norm had ducked right in time, the blade skimming off the tips of a few of his hairs.

Norm was lying on the ground where he had fallen trying to duck the swing, and he was touching his hands to head as if to make sure it was still there.

Jake stood there, a shocked look on his face, and the sword clattered to the ground before he rushed over to Norm, who was getting up.

"Christ, Jake, I nearly shit myself!" Norm was still feeling his face, like it was about to fall off.

Jake merely stood there, his mouth opening and closing, as he tried to form words.

"Norm…..I'm sorry….I didn't see you!" Jake reached down and grabbed Norm by the arm, hauling him into a standing position. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine, besides being a little shook up from my near decapitation…where the hell did you get that thing anyway?"

Jake took a moment before he broke into a small, proud smile, before twirling the blade in his hands "I made it".

Norm raised his eyebrows.

Jake explained. "The blade is one of the AMP suit bayonets, but I added a silicone grip, a carbon alloy finish, and a unbelievably sharp edge to it."

Norm held out his hands and Jake slowly handed the sword to him. Norm stumbled slightly under the weight of the weapon, but he held it up and examined it. His previous displeasure at nearly having his head cut off disappeared and was slowly being replaced by wonderment. His eyes slowly increased in size as he took in more and more detail about the blade in his hands.

"Jake, this is…..awesome." Norm tore his eyes away from the sword to look up at him. "Jake, no other Na'vi has a weapon like this. The Na'vi have not advanced past basic metallurgy and never were able to develop swords, so this" he indicated to the blade "is one of a kind…..this is going to scare the shit out of Tsu'tey"

Norms eyes shot back up to see Jake staring at a point over his shoulder, his eyes clouded over and his expression unreadable, but Norm knew. Norm knew that Jake was envisioning he potential horrors going on back at Hometree at this very moment.

"Jake…...?" Jake's eyes shot back to Norm's and he quickly looked down and sighed.

"Sorry, Norm, just tryin' to focus on my plans." Norm looked at him questioningly and raised his eyebrows

"Which are what exactly? I can only assume they include me….." Jake chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, Norm they include you and Max….but they also include some more metal work" Jake paused for a second, a thoughtful expression on his face, and he looked back down at Norm again.

"Norm…..you're a computer whiz and I need to cut some more knives out of a solid sheet of metal…..you wouldn't happen to be able to know how to run the type of program that this laser cutter runs off of do you?" Norm nodded, his gaze falling upon the solid sheet of metal Jake had rested against the wall.

"Yeah, I think I can, it's a pretty basic mechanical program, where you just select the type of object and fill in the dimensions and geometrical data."

Jake nodded and grabbed the sheet of metal from its place on the wall, and he inserted it into the loading tray of the machine, and slid the tray back into the machine.

Norm was already sitting at the terminal waiting for instructions.

"Ok, Norm, we are making three knives, all the same shape and size, but each one is going to have a unique shape outlined into the blade. These knives are going to be gifts that I give to the olo'eyktans of the Eastern Sea clan and the Plains clan, so that they might help us subdue Tsu'tey and his army."

Norm took only a second to consider what Jake had said before his hands were flying across the keyboard. Jake caught brief glimpses of lists and program files, but Norm seemed to know exactly what he was looking for, and before long, Norm had a standard combat knife shape programmed into the geometric image. Norm looked up at Jake, his finger over the "Enter" key.

Jake nodded.

Jake and Norm spent the rest of the morning making the knives and constructing the grips for them, and applying the same carbon alloy finish to them, so as to increase their durability.

Jake had Norm program the laser to a certain temperature and intensity so it only cut to a certain depth, and with that he had Norm cut the outline of an Ikran into one of the knives, while cutting a Pa'li in to the other, and on the third one, a Palulukan. Norm had paused when Jake instructed him on the third knife.

"Well, I know that you're going to give the ikran knife to the olo'eyktan of the Eastern sea clan, and the Pa'li knife to the olo'eyktan of the Plains tribe….but which tribe uses the Thanator?" Jake smiled at his question.

"It's not going to any tribe, but it is going to someone very important". Upon seeing Norm's confusion, Jake explained.

"Its going to Neytiri…..don't you remember? During the battle, Neytiri's ikran, Seze, was killed and a Palulukan let Neytiri ride her into battle against Qauritch." Norm's eyes widened.

"What? I never heard about this…" Jake smiled again, thinking of his mate.

"Yeah, its pretty crazy, she is the first Na'vi who is Palulukan Makto!"

They both sat in silence, imagining the insane image of Neytiri, already a fearsome foe on her own, riding into battle, the most fearsome predator on all of Pandora.

Jake sat in thought, imagining if his unborn child, his son or his daughter, was going to be like him, or like Neytiri. Would they be fierce and calm like their mother, or would they be him,…or like Tom?

Jake then looked back down at the sword he had made, and he realized that an object like that could be an heirloom of his line, a fearsome weapon wielded by the olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya. It would like the kings of old on Earth who passed such weapons down from generation to generation, marking the strength of their line.

The sword could be a tangible legacy of Toruk Makto. Jake didn't like to brag about his accomplishments but he smiled at the thought of his descendants holding the sword and remembering him. A regular Pandoran Excalibur he thought humorously to himself.

Once the knives were finished being engraved with their images, Jake put the sword back into the laser cutter machine.

Norm looked at Jake questioningly. Jake turned to face Norm, a curious expression on his face.

"Norm, is this program precise enough with its engraving that you could write characters on the metal surface?" Norm nodded but still looked slightly confused.

"Yeah, it can, I mean….writing with this thing would just be precise cutting, Just program in the spacing and shaped of each letter and it will cut that letter, or letters into the metal. " Jake closed his eyes for second, his expression contemplative. When he opened his eyes again, he looked down at Norm.

"On the center point of the blade, going left to right, in English characters, write 'TEETH OF THE TORUK" in Na'vi language. Norm smiled at this idea, and then turned to program the characters into the computer. As he worked, Norm questioned Jake on the significance of using not using English.

"Why engrave it in Na'vi?" Jake sighed and then leaned up against the nearest wall, staring into space."

"I guess it represents the perfect symmetry between my past and my future. In using a written language like English, I'm acknowledging my _human_" Jake paused upon uttering that word, not having said it in a long time, and his face indicated that it rolled off the tongue strangely for him "my human heritage, but the Na'vi obviously indicates my real identity, my real language. It's a synthesis of the knowledge I retain from my past life and the life that I have still yet to explore." Norm looked up at him, his lips turned up in a small smile.

"Well put". Jake laughed.

"Thanks, man". Norm laughed along with him, before leaning back in the chair in front of the computer terminal and looking Jake in the eyes, his expression turning quizzical but serious.

"So…..what's the plan, Jake?" Jake reached into the loading tray of the laser cutter and retrieved his weapon, admiring the new engraving on it before giving it a few experimental swings and thrusts.

He looked down at Norm, and Norm visibly paled at the grimly jovial expression on Jake's face.

"Simple. We give Tsu'tey and his hired guns an offer they can't refuse." Norm slightly smiled at Jake's words, and he couldn't help but ask.

"What sort of offer would be that tempting?" Jake smiled a feral smile, one that showed his sharp incisors.

"Surrender…or die".

* * *

A/N: Wow, I really suck! Not only is this update like a month late, this chapter is only decent. I apologize. I really wanted to publish something again, and in my haste to do so, I'm afraid I've published something mediocre. However, that being said, Im going to stick by it and continue with the story, as I cant abide having to go back and not go forward with this plot. Anyway, hope you guys like it, or find something to like about it, even though its crap. Next chapter will be up soon, I PROMISE. Please REVIEW! It makes me happy and it makes a better writer. My inbox is woefully bereft of reviews and I would love it if someone could take the time to send me their thoughts on my writing, even if its hate mail. I can deal. PLEASE REVIEW. Cheers! Take it easy.


	13. Ad Victoriam

A/N: Yeah, here is chapter 13. Hope you like it. Please Review. Have fun. Review some more.

Disclaimer: Haven't we gone over this before?

**Ad Victoriam**

Jake, Max and Norm sat in the main control room of Hell's Gate, all of their eyes fixed on the holographic three dimensional display of Hometree and the surrounding area. The vibrant green of the display reflected off of all three of their faces, throwing their countenances of concentration and focus into a strange light, accenting their grave features.

A tense but confident air filled the room, and Max and Norm were reluctant to speak, both of them relying heavily on Jake's military prowess, but Jake had scoffed at them having nothing to say. He reminded them of how much he himself had relied on them during the planning and execution of his strategy in the last battle.

Jake grimly reminded Max and Norm that it took more than brute strength and skill with a knife to win a war.

He leaned both hands on the edge of the display module, his eyes roving back and forth between Hometree and the lake as he spoke.

" But I don't plan on turning this into a war. Hell no….this is going to be a battle, and hopefully a mass surrender of the rogue Kyllteyka" He paused. He then looked between Max and Norm before looking back down at a spot near the base of Hometree.

"….But there will be bloodshed if need be. Either way, I want it to be a surgical strike…..one which forces Tsu'tey to split his forces." He looked back up again at Max and Norm, who both nodded without turning their gazes from the display.

"My plans' far from perfect….in fact, it might be considered stupid….well, not stupid, but it is simple. It's the age old distract and conquer trick." Max again nodded, his head now resting upon his hands as he stared into the fluorescent greens of the holograph.  
"Simple might be better in this case, Jake…we are facing quite a few enemy combatants, but none of them are in possession of sophisticated technology, and Tsu'tey is obviously paranoid, so a deceptively simple plan may be just the thing he won't expect….I mean Tsu'tey thinks you are dead, and therefore his focus and military force is going to be directed towards keeping the Omaticaya down and under control."

Jake nodded before standing up to his full height and staring out of the huge bay windows of the control room. He crossed one arm across his chest, resting the elbow of his other arm there while he stroked his chin, his gaze contemplative.

"That sounds about right Max…but I'm still caught up in the details on how to arrange our forces…assuming the other tribes will lend us any warriors at all….so that we can separate Tsu'tey from the main contingent of Kyllteyka." At this he looked down again at the display, and his brow furrowed as his eyes swept across the lake that lay next to Hometree.

Suddenly, his expression lit up and he quickly crouched down, so that he was on eye level with the display. His hands reached up and quickly traced the edge of the lake, then moving to point to Hometree.

Both Max and Norm observed him, his sudden movements enough to jerk them from their own intense focus. They watched as Jake's eyes became brighter and his mouth moved silently, as he talked to himself. They could tell that he was on to something and he was examining the holograph to see if whatever he was planning would work.

They watched him….and waited, until Max could wait no longer.

"Jake...the plan?" Jake's eyes only snapped up to meet Max's for an instant before they fell back onto the display, but his hands stopped moving and he moved them rest on the edge of the module, the index finger on his left hand drumming on the metal slightly.

"My original plan was to provide a distraction from the air and divide Tsu'tey from his forces that way, but I thought of something better." At this he was silent, and his eyes still roved the display, checking to make sure he had thought of everything to make this plan work.

Max and Norm waited, expecting him to continue. Norm gave a small sigh and waved his hand in front of Jake's face.

"And then…..?" Jake did not look up, but his hand reached up to swat away Norm's hand. Norm sat back in his chair. Jake took a deep breath before continuing.

"First, I need to go around to the other clans and secure as many warriors as I can. Second, we gather all the old ammunition, flares, explosives, and otherwise expendable and explosive materials together that we can set off to create a disraction. Third, we position troops in the forest around this are of the lake, where the distraction will take place." At this Jake pointed a spot on the lake's shore where a small inlet formed a natural choke point near its mouth.

"Then…." Jake paused to think. "Oh yeah…fourth, I and a group of warriors will land in Hometree's ikran roost and then descend down to its lower levels, engaging Tsu'tey and his remaining forces after he has dispatched other parts of his army to check out the distraction." Jake looked at Max and Norm, both of whom stared back, waiting on his next words.

"Fifth, our main force will be waiting in the forest to surround the main Kyllteyka contingent, which hopefully will surrender." At this, Jake paused again, before pointing once more to the inlet on the lake's edge.

"But if not, the mouth of this small creek provides a perfect place to have them in a kill zone if they choose to fight…..they would be hemmed in from both sides and hard pressed to not be slaughtered."

Norm observed Jake's features as he said that last statement, as he saw a flicker of rage cross his face, and he knew that though Jake wanted peace for the Omaticaya and himself, he got the feeling that Jake would not be surprised or disappointed if they were forced to destroy the Kyllteyka.

Norm chuckled inwardly.

Better them than us, he deadpanned to himself.

Jake's eye's shifted to Norm's and his mouth turned upwards in a weird smile so that one of his fangs stuck out from beneath his lips. Norm couldn't help but think that Jake had heard his last thought.

Jake's expression then became more serious and he stood up again, once more leaning on both hands against the frame of the module. His eyes sifted from left to right before they settled back on Norm.

"Norm…I haven't mentioned part of my plan yet…..and it includes you." He paused, staring at Norm as if to gauge his reaction to his statement. Norm merely stared right back at him, his eyes never wavering. Jake took this as a sign to continue.

"Norm, I must ask you to be a part of this plan, and your part involves no small amount of risk." Once again Jake paused, waiting for a sign of trepidation on Norm's part. When he received none, he continued.

"Heres the deal…in the coming weeks we have to have some idea of what's going on at Hometree, and we have to know where Neytiri and Tsu'tey are at certain times…..because when the time comes to strike, we will need to be sure that we can isolate Neytiri in Hometree, away from any threats, and then face Tsu'tey openly."

Max leaned forward in his seat, giving a small sound of impatience as he gestured to the display.

"Jake, I see where you are going with this, but how are you going to be able to track Neytiri and Tsu'tey? And how are you going to be able to make sure Neytiri is not with Tsu'tey when the attack begins?"

Jake's rolled his eyes without looking at Max, and he shifted in his stance before raising his hand in a silencing gesture.

"Easy, Max….I've already thought of those two factors."

Max stared at Jake, his expression clearly stating the he was not convinced of the validity of Jake's plan and that he desired for Jake to further articulate the finer points of this 'plan'.

Jake continued, seeing that Max was awaiting his next words.

"First things first, in order for us to track Neytiri and Tsu'tey, we have to 'paint' them with something that can be tracked on GPS via the orbital satellite, which you have informed me is still operational." Jake looked up at Max for confirmation, and Max slightly nodded, at which turned his gaze to Norm.

"This is where you come in Norm…..I need you to link up into your Avatar, then proceed by Samson to outside of Hometree. From there you will deliver certain items to Tsu'tey and to Neytiri."

Norm looked up at Jake, confusion clearly stamped across his features. Jake noticed this, and stepped back from the display module, swiftly moving over to one of the other terminals in the control room. He quickly punched in a few keys and suddenly a second, smaller holograph appeared above the terminal Jake sat at.

Jake stood up, facing Max and Norm as he did so. Though his Na'vi height made it awkward, Jake stooped slightly to pat the top of the terminal.

"This baby right here is going to tell us exactly where Neytiri and Tsu'tey are, because it links directly up to the satellite, which has infrared imaging capabilities I might add."

Jake smiled slightly as a look of dawning comprehension appeared on Max's face. Seeing that Norm still looked slightly lost, Jake pushed on.

"Norm, the items you will give to Tsu'tey and Neytiri will be laced with an infrared dye that the satellite can see and will track through GPS. Thus, we can track their movements and have an idea of their daily patterns and where they might be during certain times of the day."

Jake paused to let his words sink in. He saw that Norm's features had become rigid and stoic, so Jake knew he understood.

"What is going to have to happen, is that you will walk into Hometree, prostrate yourself before Tsu'tey, and make sure you refer to his as the olo'eyktan, and don't mention my name, that would be bad. Tell him how thankful you are for his letting you and the other scientists stay at Hell's Gate."

Max raised his hands as if to interject, but Jake, without looking, waved his hand, silencing him.

"Then, Norm, you are going to give him some gifts….mere trinkets, really…but they will be laced with the dye, and if he reacts to flattery and presents like any megalomaniac does, he will not easily part with them, thus they will be on him at all times, and we will be able to track him by their location."

This time Max succeeded in his interruption.

"And Neytiri…?" Jake's gaze shifted to Max, and Max's brown skin flushed slightly at the veritable emotional storm that crossed Jake's face at the very mention of Neytiri.

Jake tore his gaze away from Max and he looked down. He then reached down into his side pouch (having once again donned his original loincloth in lieu of avatar driver clothes). From them he extracted two pictures and a set of dog tags, his dog tags.

"These items will be laced with the dye and Norm will present them to Neytiri once he has distracted Tsu'tey with his gifts." Jake paused again, taking a deep breath, which he let out again, but with a slightly ragged edge to it.

"These items will help us to track Neytiri, but they also serve to provide what comfort to Neytiri that I can. Seeing as I cannot openly tell her that I'm still alive, these will have to do." Jake then looked to Norm, and his gaze was almost pleading.

"And besides their practical and tactical function, I would ask you to give these things to Neytiri as a personal favor, Norm."

"Absolutely, Jake. I will offer what comfort to her that I can without giving away the game." Norm's response was quick and confident, which reassured Jake.

Jake then turned to face Max, his eyes searching Max's for any sign of hesitation or disapproval.

"And now Max….to answer the second of your original misgivings." Max's bushy eyebrows rose as he awaited the next facet of Jake's plan.

"In order for us to effectively isolate Neytiri away from Tsu'tey and other threats, we will need someone inside the Omaticaya to do this for us. We will have to inform this individual of the plan and their role in it. When the time comes, the individual will make sure that Neytiri is near to Hometree, where we can protect her."

Norm interrupted Jake, raising his hand almost as if he was in a classroom answering a question put forth by the teacher.

"You're talking about Odo'khal right?" Jake smiled. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Who else? I don't trust anyone else inside the clan with this task, and quite frankly no one else in the clan is as physically able to defend Neytiri as Odo is."

Norm nodded, a slight smile on his face. Max, however looked confused, and slightly put out for not knowing this particular Na'vi like Jake and Norm obviously did.

"Who the hell is Odo'khal?" Jake and Norm merely looked at each other before looking back at Max. Jake smirked and walked over, patting Max on the shoulder as he exited the control room, calling back over his shoulder.

"You'll see….." Norm jumped up to follow Jake, both of them leaving Max in the control room, perplexed slightly annoyed.

Norm caught up to Jake in the hallway heading to the Avatar labs, and they walked in silence for several moments before Jake spoke up.

"You know…..Norm…I don't even know how to try and thank you for doing this for me. I mean…the risk of this little endeavor is huge, so I can only ask you as a friend to do this. You don't have to if…" Jake was cut off by Norm, who stepped in front of him, blocking Jake's path.

"Save it , Jake. I'm more than glad to help you and help the Omaticaya, but you're not the only one with something to lose out there." At these words, Jake's eyebrows shot up and his eyes were questioning, begging Norm to explain further.

"You and I share the same risk, as you have Neytiri and your unborn child out there, not to mention the fate of the entire tribe that you are an olo'eyktan of…..but I too also have my life at stake in this new conflict." Norm paused again. Jake didn't interrupt.

"Jake, after you transferred to your Avatar permanently, and you literally became a Na'vi, I have watched how you have lived and experienced a new life and…well….I want the same thing. I want to transfer to my Avatar as well, I wish to become one of the People in body as in mind (Max and Norm, and Trudy, posthumously, had all been made honorary members of the clan after the battle)."

Jake's eyes began to shine with understanding and comprehension as Norm continued his explanation.

"With Tsu'tey controlling the Omaticaya, with his hatred for Avatars, there is no chance for me to become one of the People, he would never let me. So, you see, Jake…you don't have to ask me for favors, I'm willing to do whatever it takes, because just like you." Norm poked his finger into Jake's shoulder for emphasis.

"I'm fighting for my future."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, that was really short. Sorry...I guess. To anyone out there who is a physics or chemistry major, or anyone who is overly knowedgeable about science in general, you are welcome to completely roast me about the invalidity and infeasibility of my idea concerning the infrared dyes, and the tracking of them through satellite imaging. I quite frankly have no idea whether that kind of thing is possible or can be done. It sounded plausible to me, so I'm going to go with it. After all, its my story, and hell, its the future we're talking about here! Anythings possible, right? Probably not, I know...Anyway, got way too much shit to do to be writing this authors note, after all, tempus fugit. PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Hit the button! Pretend that pressing the button and leaving a review for me please you as much as it does me. Take it easy.


	14. Elusive Reaches

A/N: Wow, another long time between updates, I really am sorry about that, my job has been all consuming this past month and there has been no time to write and no computer access for that matter. I spent most of the month, thinking of how to do this chapter, and I think I came up with some good ideas. Hopefully you think so too. I understand if you all hate me because of not updating, but there was nothing that could be done about it. It was unavoidable. For those of you who are still following this story, I am truly amazed and thank you sincerely. Here is chapter 14. Have fun. I know I suck by not updating, but I would still love to see some reviews. READ. REVIEW.

**Elusive Reaches**

Jake was surely in hell.

He choked on the thick, smoky air, as a swirling din of ash and sparks consumed his vision. Spurts of fire shot overhead and he looked up to see the entire dome of the sky being wreathed in flame.

Through the clouds of fumes and ash he could only see passing shapes and silhouettes….like apparitions. The burning trunks of forest trees loomed out of the dim light like so many funerary pyres. They were monuments to whatever terrible cataclysm had occurred here.

Spectral shadows could be seen upon the ash covered ground, but no walking bodies casted them.

Jake spun around, his frantic eyes turning in all directions, trying to gain some sense of place, but the massive curtains of flaming ash prevented him from seeing anything.

From some unseen source, a great roar was heard and a fresh wave of scathing flames shot across the sky above him, mixing with the rest of the inferno, sending a painful blast of heat down on to Jake's already singed head.

Jake began to run, knowing he couldn't stand there, helpless.

He ran. Not knowing which direction, or what lay ahead. He just ran.

That's when he heard it. It was faint at first, and he questioned whether he had heard it or not.

Then he heard it again, and he knew for sure that he had heard it, but he didn't want to believe it. He just kept running.

Then he heard it a third time and he recognized the sound. The noise stabbed through him like a knife through his very heart. He heard it a fourth time and he stopped dead in his tracks. Then for a fifth time he heard Neytiri cry out, her sobs ragged, filled with pain and anguish.

Jake's heart plummeted. He began to run flat out in the direction of the sound.

"Neytiri!" His scream was drowned out by the dull roar of the raging ruin around him, but he could still hear Neytiri's cries as if they were just ahead of him…..but he still saw nothing.

Jake ran on, as fast as his long legs would carry him, his body screaming in protest at the exertion, while his mind screamed in anguish at hearing Neytiri's cries but coming no closer to finding her.

He screamed in fury and frustration, his breaths now coming ragged and hard, his chest heaving. Time seemed to speed up as his body went slower and he struggled to keep running.

He stumbled and fell.

Though his body ached to simply lie there, to just give up, Jake scrambled with his hands and feet to get up again. He pawed at the ash covered ground to get purchase. All the while Neytiri's cries mixed with the howls of the flames searing the sky above, like the music to a most demented and scathing symphony.

That's when he noticed the curtain of ash diminishing.

That's when his breath failed and his heart stopped beating.

There before him Tsu'tey stood, holding a knife to a sobbing, very pregnant Neytiri's throat.

Jake roared and tried to get up, but his limbs became sluggish and the ground gave way underneath of his attempts, becoming more slippery and sinky beneath him. He tried to push himself onto his knees, but his body would not obey, and his legs began to disappear into the mire beneath him.

Jake struggled with the intensity born of doom and desperation, but he only slowed his descent into the quicksand like sludge that was now claiming him.

He watched Tsu'tey pull Neytiri's head back, exposing her throat even further. A small trickle of blood appeared along the edge of the knife. A terrified moan escaped Neytiri's throat.

Tsu'tey stared at him, the most wicked of grins smeared across his face. He brought the knife blade from Neytiri's neck, running his tongue along the edge. His eyes became alight with manic delight at the taste of her blood.

Tsu'tey raised the knife again.

Jake gave a bellow of murderous rage, clawing frantically, his legs already sucked in. His hands merely slipped through the fine layer of soft ash that coated the ground. He could only stare on in helpless, forlorn fury as Tsu'tey turned to stare at him.

Jake froze and looked at Neytiri. Both of her eyes were closed and she was now clutching her throat, her now silent sobs still wracking her frame.

Tsu'tey gave Jake a demented chuckle, and before Jake could do anything, he had brought the knife down, plunging it into Neytiri's belly, to the hilt...

Neytiri slumped over, her eyes wide but unseeing, and her hands clutching the hilt of the knife protruding from her pregnant stomach.

Jake's entire existence seemed to be swallowed up in the flames that consumed his vision and mind.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way completely, and he found himself falling, clawing at air as the scathing flames were replace by cold, impenetrable darkness.

His eyes shot open right before he hit the water.

The breath was slammed from his body as he struck the water, shoulder first. His momentum carried him down.

When he finally stopped, he had no idea how far he was from the surface, nor did he know which way was to the surface.

A terror grasped Jake. He had to save Neytiri. He began to blindly swim, clawing at the water.

He let out an anguished scream, causing a cascade of bubbles to shoot from his mouth, obscuring his vision. His eyes followed the bubbles and he saw that they were heading for a light above him. He struggled, pushing the water aside with wide sweeps of his arms.

Not far now.

Jake broke the surface with a tremendous commotion as he sucked in greedy gulps of air. He had not been under long, but his body was in total shock, having been dumped in the cold water after the vivid terror of his dreamscapes.

Jake's mind and senses came to a grinding halt and he let out a huge sigh when the realization struck him, that it had been a dream…or a nightmare. It wasn't real.

Jake shuddered as he treaded water. The dream had been so vivid and so real….so utterly terrifying. Only the pure shock of the cold water was able to clear his mind so quickly of the haunting images the dream had evoked.

Jake closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

"Holy shit…" He focused on banishing the horrific images of a dead Neytiri, surrounded by walls of flame, with Tsu'tey standing over her lifeless body. The feelings of fury and helplessness still rang out in Jake's mind, but he shook his head, trying to let the sting of the cold water numb the terror from his body.

He opened his eyes, and for the first time since having plunged almost head first into the water, he took stock of his surroundings. He looked up to see that he was facing the steep vertical rock pinnacles of the cliff face.

Jake shook his head, feeling foolish. He should have known better than to sleep so close to the edge.

He had stopped here last night upon seeing the cliff face loom up out of the shoreline. He had traveled, following the shore, until seeing a wide ledge about halfway up the cliff face. To Jake it had looked like a perfect place to stop for the night and sleep.

It had been.

It had been a calm, clear and warm night. He had watched Polyphemus rise over the edge of the Eastern Sea, wishing desperately and forlornly that Neytiri was there with him to witness such a sight.

He had fallen asleep not far from the ledge, and apparently had rolled right over the edge when he was thrashing about in the throes of his nightmare.

Jake splashed the water in frustration. "Dumbass!"

He then turned in the water to look out over the sea, and he was temporarily blinded by the rays of light shooting out over the water from the sun breaking the horizon. The dawn set the waves alight with sparkling and shimmering golden reflections.

Jake once again closed his eyes and let the dawn light embrace him in its warmth. The light brought comfort that would help to dissolve the fragments of his nightmare, enabling him to focus on his mission.

Jake gave a deep sigh before turning his back on the sun and the horizon to look for a break in the cliff face upon which he could climb up.

He realized that he needed to get moving, as he had a long day of traveling ahead of him in order to make it back to Hell's Gate by nightfall.

With powerful and efficient strokes, Jake powered through the rough waves that broke on the rocks of the cliff face. After several attempts to grab on to one of the protruding rocks, Jake managed to latch his arms around a small finger of rock that jutted forth from the face.

He quickly ascended face of the cliff, finding many fissures and cracks in the rock in which he could wedge a hand or foot and lever himself up. Twenty minutes later, he threw himself over the top of the ledge he had slept on the previous night.

After a short rest, Jake clambered up the small path he had found that led down to his ledge. He followed the path up its many switchbacks until it wound from between the rocks and opened up onto the grassy plateau that looked out over the sea.

Jake took a second to once again appreciate the view of the early morning sun over the Eastern Sea before stretching slightly and running in place in order to limber up, after all, riding the toruk for long periods of time was taxing on the body.

"Not to mention it made one stiff as hell" Jake thought to himself as he swung his arms from side to side, trying to get his blood pumping.

When he was finished stretching he looked around, and seeing no sign of his gigantic winged companion, he brought his hands up to cup around his mouth before bellowing

"OORAH!" Jake paused, with one of his hands cupped around his ear, listening.

Nothing…..

He once again gave the Marine war cry, letting it echo across the empty grasslands.

Jake could see for miles around. There was nothing in sight except for slightly waving seas of grass stretching into the distance.

He was about to call for a third time when, from far above him, a guttural roar sounded, the echoes rolling off the landscape.

Jake's eyes shot upwards, and he smiled when he saw, standing out against an ocean of blue sky, the orange and yellow outline of the toruk descending in a slow circular pattern towards the ground.

He quickly jumped aside as the giant predator landed on the spot where he had just been standing. The beast flapped its wings as it settled on the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

The toruk turned on the spot with its long, craning neck and faced Jake, its nostrils flaring and its four orange eyes following his steps as he walked towards it.

"I figured you were close by, even though I couldn't see you….man, I'd hate to be a lone yerik out on the those open plains…even with all this open space, I would never see you coming."

The toruk gave a short snort, and jets of hot air washed over Jake's hands as he held them out to stroke the upper horn of the creatures' massive beak.

"Yeah, yeah…..I know you're anxious to get going, so am I….." Jake looked out over the grasslands towards the western horizon, and even in the early morning, it shimmered with the heat. Somewhere to the west, lay the forest, Hometree and….Neytiri.

Jake turned back to the toruk, patting it on the neck as he slowly slid his other hands up to grasp onto one the creature's massive queues. The toruk closed its eyes at Jake's hand stroking its neck, almost looking playful, rather than the vicious predator that it was.

Jake gently pulled the queue down and reached behind his head to grasp his own long braid. He slowly brought the ends of each queue close to each other, so that the neural tendrils danced on either end, and Jake could sense sparks of the toruk's fierce pride and predatory instincts inside of his own mind.

No matter how many times Jake did it, he would never get used to bonding with the giant predator. It was so different than any other tsahaylu that he had made.

When a Na'vi bonded with an ikran, it was a act of domination in pursuit of mutual benefit, and the Na'vi named and formed a bond with their own ikran.

However, when Jake felt the surge of sheer power and ferociousness of the toruk's mind inside his own, he got the distinct feeling that if anyone in this mutual relationship was going to be given a pet name, it would be him. The toruk seemed to merely be tolerating him, only bearing him as if it was slightly impressed with his daring and courage, thus willing to bear him as if to say "Let's see how brave you really are."

This was obviously unlike an ikran, who was willing to bear a rider without question once tsahaylu was made.

It was obvious to Jake, after having experienced tsahaylu with the toruk, that there was no question that on the slightest pretext, if the beast was tired of him, that he would be thrown off.

With the toruk, Jake felt like he had to keep proving himself that he was worthy to be riding on its back….to not be thrown off and devoured.

Jake was slightly apprehensive about the fact that the toruk seemed to give a low thrumming sound of agreement as if to confirm his thoughts and suspicions. The beast then gave another small screech as some of Jake's emotions and feelings bled into its own mind through tsahaylu. One of the orange eyes fixed Jake with a questioning glare.

Jake held the queue's close together before looking directly into the toruk's eyes.

"Shall we?"

The toruk tossed its head slightly and gave a snort. Jake nodded slightly before joining the two queues.

Every time it amazed him.

Every time he formed tsahaylu with the toruk, Jake never anticipated or never got used to the surge of raw power and fierce wildness that seemed to course through every fiber of his being.

He was faintly aware of the toruk receiving his own mind through tsahaylu and he once again felt that the toruk observed him and his thoughts with bemused curiosity.

Feeling the indomitable spirit of the toruk flowing through him, Jake nimbly leapt up onto the great beast's back and gave a wild cry, exulting in the fierce pride that both he and the toruk felt. Jake could feel his mind flare with fierce thoughts of vengeance as the toruk's predatory instincts became his own.

Sensing Jake's exuberance and his vengeful thoughts, the toruk gave a roar of approval and terrible joy as it spread its massive wings.

After taking a few steps to gain momentum, it beats its wings with heavy force, and little by little, the giant creature rose from the ground. Like an inexorable force, it began to rise proudly towards the sky.

Further and further into the sky, they rose. The cold air whipped about Jake's face, and he felt a strange delight in its sting, as if the further exhilaration only heightened his senses and his determination.

The toruk leveled off, and Jake looked down to see the ground far below. The endless blue field of the sea was quickly disappearing into the east and he looked forward to see the plains stretching into the distance. Jake once again felt the power of the toruk beneath him and inside his own mind, and a wild rush of excitement passed through him, banishing the last shrouds of the nightmare. They melted away as he fell back into his natural element.

He had been born to fly.

Jake was now retracing the route from the journey he had made several days ago. After spending a week searching out and coaxing the toruk to let him ride it again, Jake had taken to the skies from Hell's Gate and flown straight east away from the forest and out over the plains.

From there he had flown east still but curved southwards, making the wide arc so as to avoid detection from hunters and scouts from Hometree. Hell's Gate lay north of Hometree, thus he could not risk a direct flight over the area to get over the forest to the plains or the sea.

He had made quite the commotion when landing amongst the village of the Plains Clan. From the bits of hasty and panicked Na'vi he had heard, apparently, the clan thought that Jake's coming on the toruk signaled another attack by the Sky People.

After calming them down and assuaging their fears about another Tawtute invasion, Jake had launched into a recounting of all the events of the past months, from Tsu'tey wandering into the desolation to summon the Kyllteyka to his cause, to Jake's near shave with death, to the horrors that Tsu'tey and his army of rouge Na'vi were sure to be inflicting upon the Omaticaya.

He watched the faces of the assembled clan grow somber and then fill with sadness and anger. Many gave outraged cries at Jake's descriptions of Tsu'tey's plans for the Omaticaya. Eventually the scattered yells and shouts grew into a crescendo of fury when Jake finished his tale.

The clan leader, Nguvo, had ascended the platform from which Jake had addressed the assembled clan, his long arms waving up and down in a gesture to quiet his people. Now standing firmly upon the platform, he turned to Jake, his eyes glittering with determination and grim excitement.

"Toruk Makto…your tale is grave…and you fly alone, your need must be urgent…..I think I know what you have come to ask, but I want you to ask all of us…what do you seek from us?"

Jaked nodded curtly before turning to the crowd.

"I have come to request the help of the clans once again, I know you have all given so much already and have lost so much to defend your homes and our world from the tawtute, I know that many of you are trying to rebuild peaceful lives, but I ask that any among you who are willing…..to come and to fight with me…I don't ask without reason or need, but I understand completely if none of you want any part of this, ultimately, it is my fight."

Immediately twenty or so large warriors stepped forward from the crowd, coming to stand directly in front of the platform where Jake and Nguvo stood.

The largest of them stood forward and he placed his hand across his heart as he spoke.

"If you forgive me Toruk Makto, it is not your fight….any time where a Na'vi is oppressed or suffers, then the burden and responsibility is for all Na'vi to bear. It would be an honor to fight alongside you once again."

After this pronouncement of allegiance, Jake spotted more and more bows and fists raised into the air, mingled with cries of oaths and pledges. Jake felt humbled to have so many come to his rallying call.

Nguvo put a hand on Jake's shoulder and Jake turned to face him once again. Nguvo put his other hand on his heart, just like his warriors had.

"You did well Toruk Makto….it was not my place to force any of my people into this fight, but now that you have their support, I can assure you that I and no less than one hundred warriors will ride to your summons."

Jake had flown east that night with the roars of warriors filling his ears, as they mounted their pa'li and thundered north across the plains.

In the pale light preceding dawn, Jake saw the outskirts of the villages of the Eastern sea clans. The cries of the guards and scouts that spotted him approaching roused him from his state of half-consciousness. The blasts from their horns rang out over the village and as Jake descended he could see many shapes spilling from small huts and dwellings.

He had landed outside of the village and after dismounting was soon surrounded by many Na'vi with red painted stripes, all of them having drawn their bows.

Jake strode forward with arms held upwards, his own bow strung across his back, trying to convey that he did not mean any harm.

Upon seeing him, many lowered their bows and made gestures of reverent greeting, reciting the name of Toruk Makto.

Jake blushed slightly, and he was thankful that the light was so poor, that they couldn't see his cheeks turn an even darker shade of blue.

Before long, the light had become better as the sun came closer to rising, and Jake could see the olo'eyktan of the Eastern Sea Clan, Anat'so, striding out to meet him. As she got closer, Jake could see her face light up with recognition and delight.

Jake bowed and made the gesture of recognition, bringing his fingers downwards from his forehead. Anat'so bounded up, doing the same and adding a slight bow to the end.

Jake laughed and waved away her gesture.

Jake watched the smile die from her face as he began to tell his tale to her and when he was finished, her face showed much of the same indignant fury that Nguvo and his clan had shown.

She merely called for her warriors to follow and she beckoned for Jake to follow her also.

By the light of the sun showing its first fiery spires over the edge of the sea, Anat'so had stood at the edge of the cliff, surrounded by her entire clan, and told all that Jake had relayed to her.

The reaction was instantaneous.

A mighty cry went up from all the warriors and hunters present, most already had their bows in hand.

Anat'so promised Jake all of the clan's might, and as Jake flew over the village in his departure later that day he saw hundreds of red painted warriors mounting their ikrans.

Jake had flown north that night with a new sense of purpose and a surge of grim determination.

Though his nightmarish dreams had shaken him that night, he felt his resolve renewed and his mind was cleared of doubts as the toruk's primal instincts melded with his own.

Now he flew west with all speed.

Crossing the plains took most of the day, and the sun hung languidly in the sky and by the time Jake was crossing the eastern reaches of the forest it was late afternoon. Soon he would turn north and follow a small range of hills to Hell's Gate.

As he flew over the forest that lay to the north of Hometree, he could not help but notice where he was. Even from his position, high in the sky, riding astride a giant alien dragon, Jake could see a clearing in the forest, a small balding patch with a snaking stream running through it. It lay ahead and far below him.

He knew that clearing well.

It's the same clearing in which he and Neytiri used to frequent, seeking solitude and tranquility in the days after the final battle. The days and the memories they shared (and made) there seemed so far away now.

Jake thought back on the afternoons when he and Neytiri had disappeared, not worrying whether they were neglecting their duties to the clan…..they were so caught up within themselves.

It was most likely the place where they had conceived their child.

Jake couldn't help the enormous smile that broke onto his face when his thoughts once again turned to his impending fatherhood. He had been so focused recently on plans and strategies that he now found himself fully surrendering to a musing vision in which he held his newborn son or daughter, and he couldn't help but ponder what aspects of each parent the child would adopt. Five Fingers? Four? Eyebrows?

Jake's mind raced delightedly with the seemingly endless possibilities.

The toruk gave a loud roar of amused frustration at all the thoughts Jake was sending frantically racing across the bond.

Jake patted the toruk's neck and he looked down at the clearing as they were now directly overhead of it.

He saw a small, bluish shape near the edge of the clearing, where the waterfall came crashing down from the hills above. It was unmoving and somehow oddly familiar. Jake's mind flared inquisitively. Then…..

He sensed something in the bond….

Maybe…..

Yes…

It was HER…

Jake's realization caused a rush of emotions and inchoate thoughts.

He struggled with himself. He wanted to see her more than anything else. He wanted to see her, to feel her, and to know she was safe. He wanted to be there so badly.

Jake reached for the bar he used to steer the toruk. But he stopped himself.

If he went down there and confronted Neytiri, he could ruin the plan. It wasn't that he didn't trust Neytiri, it's just that if Tsu'tey in any way found out that he was still alive, then his element of surprise would be ruined.

Even with gathering warriors from the other clans, Jake's forces would still be fewer in number than the Kyllteyka, thus Jake's plan depended upon a surprise attack, and the advantage afforded to them by the element of surprise was one that could not be lightly cast aside…..not for any reason.

Jake's mind waged a war with itself. One part of him yearned to swoop down and rescue Neytiri right then and there, but another realized that in order for his plan to work, all things needed to appear normal….or as normal as they would under Tsu'tey's dictatorship.

Jake kept telling himself that there was more at stake here than just his own happiness, and that the fate of all the Omaticaya was wound up in his plan.

Jake could not overcome his own impulsivity.

Yanking on the bar that steered the toruk, he pulled it to the right, bringing the beast around in a wide, sweeping curve.

He descended to a lower altitude and flew back towards the clearing, having passed it by in his mental frustrations.

He bid the toruk land in the branches of a large tree a fair distance from the clearing, and they set down gently, the strong and formidable talons of the toruk digging into the wood with frightening strength, firmly securing their landing.

Jake slid of the beast's back, gave it a nod, motioning it to stay there, and then after grabbing his weapons and pack, he quietly descended the tree to the forest floor below.

He made his way from the tree he had landed in to the break in the trees ahead of him that indicated the clearing. The bright sunlight shining into the clearing vividly contrasted with the forest floor, which was thrown into a state of dim light, due to the massive canopy above.

After a short time, Jake came to the edge of the clearing. He crouched in the thick underbrush and watched, listened and smelled for signs of a trap or any other Na'vi. Several minutes later, there being no signs of anything menacing, Jake was satisfied.

Using all the cunning and stealth he possessed, most of which he had learned from Neytiri, he slipped from the bushes and into the open sunlit ground of the clearing. He looked up to the ledge next to the waterfall.

There she was.

Lying there. Sleeping.

Jake stopped in his tracks, unable to take his eyes off of Neytiri's sleeping form, but unable to move forward at the fact that she was actually here, that she wasn't some delusional figment crafted by his own mind to torment him.

Jake's heart clenched with the conflicting emotions of euphoria and frustration. He was euphoric that he got to see Neytiri again in the flesh, but he was extremely frustrated that he could not touch her, kiss her, or be acknowledged by her.

Inwardly, he gave an enormous sigh before advancing towards her.

Slowly he climbed the small ledges that led up to where she now lay.

Slowly, he brought his body quietly over the last ledge so that he was now on eye level with where she lay.

Jake couldn't help the lone tear that slipped from his eye, and his mind reeled in relief. It was surreal.

She lay only an arm's length from him, and he wanted to do nothing more than to engulf her in his arms and assure her of his love and her own salvation.

But he could not touch her.

He just sat there.

He just sat there and watched her sleeping form, taking in everything about her, marveling at the now noticeable bulge in her stomach.

That was THIER son or daughter.

Seeing her stomach like that had sorely tested his will, and his hand had snaked out over the ledge to stroke her stomach, as if on its own accord.

He had barely stopped it in time.

As he pulled his hand away, he saw a shiver run through her body. Jake then noticed it was getting darker, and he saw the sun was almost setting.

How long had he sat there and watched her.

He didn't know.

What would he have done if she had awoken, to see him standing there, staring at her?

Once again, he didn't know.

Jake quickly, but stealthily descended the ledges and ran back to the edge of the forest, where he had dumped his pack in the bushes.

From it, he retrieved an old barracks blanket. It was a thing that he used to keep warm, while camping in strange trees during his journeys. He padded silently back across the clearing and ascended the ledges once more, with blanket in hand.

Checking to make sure Neytiri was still firmly asleep, he climbed up onto her ledge and quickly but very gently draped the blanket over her body.

She moved slightly, as if to cuddle into the ground more, but beyond that, gave no move to wake up.

Jake moved back down to the ledge where he had watched her from.

His hands itched to touch her, to stroke her cheeks and assure her that everything was going to be alright.

But his mind assured his almost mutinous body that even though he hasn't seen or touched her in over two months, that once victory was assured, there would be time for all the love and care he could give her.

With a colossal effort, Jake forced himself to turn away and descend the ledges. Several times, he stopped, turned and stared once more, his eyes straining ever harder in the failing light.

When Neytiri made several moves and yawned roughly, Jake quietly but swiftly jumped from the last ledge and crossed the clearing, stowing away in the edge of the forest.

He once again crouched and turned, watching Neytiri as she awoke.

Jake allowed himself a small chuckle at imagining Neytiri's confusion as to where the blanket that now covered her had come from. Quickly, the chuckle died as Jake remembered that the reason for Neytiri's confusion was that she thought him to be dead.

His thoughts then turned to Tsu'tey and he felt a rage beginning to consume his emotions and thoughts. His hands clenched in fists. He could not go to his mate now and hold her and be with her…..because of HIM!

Jake's rage subsided slightly when he noticed Neytiri had descended the ledges and was now walking towards the forest, towards him…..

He turned and ran.

Forgetting stealth, he crashed away through the forest as fast as his legs would carry him.

He had to force himself to keep running, as his heart was screaming at him to turn around and go to her, to help her.

His mind once again reminded him that the best way to help her was to go through with his plan, to help all of the Omaticaya…

He heard the quiet screech of the toruk as he approached the tree, as if questioning him to be friend and challenging him to be foe.

Jake gave a small "hey!" and the toruk gave a low rumbling sound in greeting.

Quickly Jake scrambled up the tree, bouncing from branch to branch in his haste.

Once at the top, and without a second thought, Jake connected his and the toruk's queues, melding their consciousnesses.

The toruk rocked its head wildly back and forth in excitement.

Jake leapt onto its back, give the bar a swift and forceful tug.

Sensing Jake's need and urgency, the toruk gave no complaint as it beats its wings several times before launching itself off of the branch with enough force to shake the tree.

They quickly cleared the treetops, and ascended into the darkling skies of the early night.

Stars had begun to fill the void that splashed across the arc above him.

Bathed in their pale light, Jake felt a wave of forlorn anguish wash over him. He had abandoned Neytiri. What fate had he just condemned her to by not rescuing her? Jake felt as if suddenly his entire stomach had dropped out beneath him. What kind of olo'eyktan was he, running from those he was supposed to protect.

The toruk gave a mighty roar of disgust at Jake's forlorn mood coming through in the tsayhalu. Jake felt as if the toruk was telling him to suck it up, and trust his instincts. Jake rubbed the creature's neck once more, silently thanking it for the advice.

Jake trusted his mind, his intuition.

Once again Jake's mind backed its reasoning by dredging up a memory from long ago, when Jake had been in his Advanced training. A gunnery sergeant had once told him, after pinning him to the ground and placing a knife at his throat, that Jake had committed a cardinal sin by recklessly charging him and engaging in a battle.

The gunnery sergeant got up, turned to the other assembled soldiers, and then back to Jake. He held out his hand, helping Jake up. He explained to them all that the real warrior decides combat on his own terms, and the truly wise and sage warrior, if having to resort to armed combat at all, will always choose the manner and place of combat.

Jake had lived by that advice.

Now, as his mind reminded his rebellious body, he would follow it again. Jake was naming the form and setting of the combat by following his plan. It would be his best chance for a total victory. It was, as his gunnery sergeant used to say, the very best way to analyze your fight and to stay ahead of your enemies.

Thanks gunny, Jake thought to himself.

In reply to his silent gratitude, Jake was met with a garbled noise, a tangled mess of static and words.

"What the hell?"

Again the noise came, but this time it was clear, and a voice was heard.

"Jake? Jake? You there? Do you copy?"

It was Max.

Jake fumbled in his side pouch, digging out his comm link. Quickly he strapped it around his neck and pressed the button over his throat.

"Read you loud and clear, Max…what's the word? Over."

A clear transmission came back in reply.

"Jake….there are Na'vi riding banshees, at least two hundred of them circling the base…they are all painted in red, they…." Jake cut him off.

"Max, haven't you talked to Norm at all?" Max was silent for several moments before answering.

"Well yeah of course I have, why would you think I hadn't?" Jake sighed audibly over the link.

"If you had I would have thought you would know that those Na'vi riding ikrans are warriors of the Eastern Sea Clan. They are some of the reinforcements I was able to find. This is good….I was hoping they would arrive ahead of me."

"It looks like Norm is out there talking with their chief, a big female…..they are talking and gesturing to the sky….I bet they are wondering where you are."

"Tell Norm to tell Anat'so that I'm less than a day behind her, and that I'll reach Hell's Gate by dawn, I'm going to fly through the night. Over." Jake paused, debating whether to tell Max what had delayed him. He decided it was unimportant for Max or Norm, or anyone, for that matter, to know.

"Tell him yourself, here he comes." Max sounded slightly relieved, and Jake could hear over the link, Norm in the background, asking if that was Jake that Max was talking to. Max replied with a smartass quip about Jake being the only other person on this entire planet with a comm link and who the hell else would he be talking to.

Jake couldn't exactly hear what Norm called Max because of the static and the sound of the comm link being moved roughly (probably Norm tearing it from Max's grasp), but moments later, Norm greeted Jake excitedly.

"Jake, man, theres got to be two hundred and fifty warriors here, all on ikran….its quite an amazing sight, sorta scary actually….." Jake chuckled.

"Norm, tell Anat'so that I'll be to Hell's Gate by dawn tomorrow, Im going to fly through the night, and I should be passing Old Hometree here within the hour, and from there it's due north to the base. Over." There was a pause on the other end. Norm's voice came through almost sounding nervous.

"Did everything go ok? What kept you? I thought you were trying to be back here by tonight…"

Jake deflected his question with a smartass remark, burying the pain he felt at not being able to stay with Neytiri.

"Thanks for your concern….MOM…but I didn't know I had a curfew."

"Bite me Jake…I'm just trying just as much as you are to make sure this plan goes off without a hitch, so I realize we got a schedule to maintain here, and I'm just trying to keep it." Jake chuckled once more.

"I know Norm, I'm just giving you a hard time, man. The flight from the sea to the forest took longer than expected, that's all" Norm was silent. Jake changed the subject.

"Hey did you and Max fix up those other comm links, like I asked you to? We are going to need those soon, as in two days from now soon."

"Yeah, I took care of it….it was just a couple of blown fuses, nothing big." Again, Norm was silent for a few moments before asking quizzically. "Why are we going to need those soon? Whose going to use them?"

"Well, one of them is going to Odo, of course….the others we will need for Anat'so and Nguvo, and maybe then the last two will go to you and Max."

"How are you going to get one to Odo?" Norm sounded puzzled.

"Well, two nights from now, we're going to go to Hometree and we will somehow avoid detection, find Odo, inform him of the fact that I'm still alive, keep his big ass from making any noise about it, give him the comm link, explain the plan to him and then fly back to Hell's Gate. Simple enough, right?"

Jake could hear a sigh coming from Norm, and he could almost picture Norm shaking his head, and closing his eyes. Jake laughed silently at the image.

The sarcasm dripping from Norm's voice was overt. "Good plan, chief."

"Fuck you too, Norm" Jake's voice was almost cheery. Norm laughed, thought a slight hint of desperation was noticeable in his laughter.

"Norm, listen, don't worry about it….quite frankly, getting to Odo and handing off the comm link to him is vital to the rest of our plan, so we got to find a way to make it work. Trust me, I'll get it done."

Once again, Norm's voice was lathered with sarcasm. "Oh thanks, Jake, I feel so much BETTER now, all my doubts and concerns have been washed away by your words of confidence. Truly, I am assuaged of any anxiety concerning this awesome, half assed, hare-brained scheme of yours."

Jake laughed loudly as he fired back.

"Whatever, nerd…Over and Out" Jake could hear Norm sputter with suppresses laughter on the other end.

"Copy that, Jake….Over and Out…fuckin' jarhead."

* * *

A/N: Hope you all like this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing the scenes with the toruk for some reason, so I had a blast writing this chapter, it was less arduous than other chapters and therefore, ideas just kept coming up and finding their way into the chapter. In my plot outline, this is originally supposed to one of the shortest chapters. Funny how it turned out. I get the feeling that not all of you (if any) are going to like the fact that I had Jake and Neytiri so close together without reuniting them. Oh well, it will happen...eventually. Im sorry if that pisses people off, but I feel that it will make the story have more depth to it (I guess?). Also, for those of you who didn't notice or can't understand the time line in this story, the events of Jake seeing Neytiri in the clearing are supposed to parallel the events from the end of chapter 10 (By the Dividing Stream) and the beginning of chapter 11 (Treacherous Gods). I understand that the time line might be confusing and poorly written, so if anyone has any questions concerning it, either message me or send a review asking, and I will be more than happy to reply. Now, I want to address two readers. To "hooper4life", dude I'm sorry I never got the story to you, like I said I would, but work got amazingly busy right after I messaged you. Sorry dude. To the person who has signed their reviews "R ()": you are awesome. I love your advice and editorial pointers. Please keep them coming. I take them to heart, seriously, although you will find I'm still switching tenses ( its impossible for me not to, I'm convinced I have a writing disorder, I might need to go see someone about it). All of you, keep reviewing, PLEASE! I love reading them, and they help to write, and they provide awesome advice. I promise to have the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, stay safe, stay metal, and take it easy. Over and out.


	15. Twilight Tavern

A/N: Chapter 15...a week late. Sorry about that. Hope you all like it, this is probably the seventh version of this chapter, for some reason this chapter seemed difficult to write. I had always envisioned the revelation by Odo that Jake was alive being easy to write, that the action and dialogue would just spring forth in my mind. Wrong again. It was tough, and this was the best version so far. Hope you like it. REVIEW! REVIEW! Cheers.

**Twilight Tavern**

As the sun set over Pandora, raucous sounds began to rise from the depths of the forest. Howls and roars rent the air. The creatures of the night awoke, ready for the hunt…..prowling and moving stealthily through the forest with deadly ease.

Soon, night was upon Pandora. Smaller animals scurried down holes and up trees, as their life depended upon avoiding the keen gaze of predators that lurked on the forest floor.

Some were not so lucky, and the death cries of the unfortunate rang out, while the savage snarls of victorious predators were testament to their kill.

Jake whipped around as a palulukan roared its violent triumph to the night.

It sounded close.

Real close.

The other twenty warriors who were with him turned on the spot, and peered into the darkness, their bows raised, ready for trouble. Jake gave the order to stand down. He whispered to his comrades.

"It's just made a kill, it's not going to bother us."

Silently, they nodded their understanding.

He made his way through the foliage, his footprints giving a dull glow as phosphorescent life forms in the loam responded to the touch of his feet.

The forest was now coming alive with bioluminescence. The plants on the forest floor formed patches of radiant light, through which Jake and his warriors passed, silent and careful.

Tonight, the beauty of the forest was lost on them.

Jake's face was set, and his eyes flicked constantly all around, alert and keen.

He figured they were less than a mile from Hometree.

Their pace slowed, and their movements became even more careful. Gestures and gesticulations replaced words. A meaningful flick of the eye was as good as any description or instruction for any of the twenty warriors Jake had handpicked from amongst Anat'so and Nguvo's warriors.

These warriors were the stealthiest hunters from amongst the two tribes, and their silent and fluid movements spoke to their deadly skill. They were the perfect scouting force for this kind of mission.

One of the warriors out in front of the rest of the group suddenly raised his hand in a closed fist. Jake and the others dropped into the low foliage.

Silence.

Jake swiftly crawled over to where the warrior was crouched. The warrior, whose name was Sym'si looked at Jake and then without a word, pointed directly ahead.

Jake got into a crouching position and looked to where Sym'si was pointing.

About fifty yards away, Jake could see the orange glow of a fire and the flickering tendrils of flame wavering between the branches of trees.

Then Jake saw movement. Outlines of pale blue forms could be seen close to the fire.

"Kyllteyka…" Jake breathed. He turned to Sym'si.

"Ok, I want you to circle to the left here almost to the edge of the lake, and then double back, see if you can't spot him. Come back here and report to me what you find. Stay away from the edge of the clearing, there are too many guards out tonight. I don't know what's going on, but they are out in force tonight."

Sym'si nodded and then disappeared into the brush off to the left. He was as swift and silent as smoke on a breeze.

Jake then turned to another warrior, Ke'gan, and told him the same thing, but to sweep to theright of Hometree.

Ke'gan, like Sym'si, melted into the night with frightening ease. No sound could be heard from him as he made his way through the brush, steadily skirting to the right of the fire.

Jake hoped that Odo was near the edge of the clearing. Otherwise, their job would become almost infinitely harder. Sneaking into Hometree itself, unseen and undetected was virtually impossible, but Jake would have to attempt it, if his scouts could not find Odo.

In order for his plans to succeed, Jake needed someone on the inside of Hometree to be prepared when he launched his attack. Someone needed to organize the Omaticaya warriors and hunters to rally to Jake once he entered Hometree.

Odo was the ideal individual to perform this crucial task.

Jake and his warriors waited silently as the night wore on. Jake crouched low in a clump of radiantly lit ferns, his ears keenly alert for any sign of Sym'si or Ke'gan, but his eyes never left the fire or the Kyllteyka taronyu sitting around it. His eyes were alight with suppressed fury as he watched them.

He gritted his teeth as other tsamsiyu and taronyu joined the group, some of them sporting with each other and yelling loudly in harsh voices. Their cries tore at Jake's mind and his sanity. He wasn't sure how much longer he could let sit by and watch, before he broke cover and charged into them.

Ever since he had left Neytiri in the clearing, Jake had found his desires and emotions amplified and more turbulent. His seeing Neytiri but not being able to tell her of his fate had been a sore test for Jake, one that had driven his rage to a new level, such that he was prone to forget any sort of plan and embark on singlehanded slaughter of any Kyllteyka that had the misfortune to get in his way.

Jake was saved from himself, when Ke'gan materialized out of the forest right beside Jake. Jake gave a small start and swore.

"Shit! Ke'gan….." Ke'gan merely stared at Jake, waiting for him to calm down. Once Jake's surprise had subsided, he stared at Ke'gan, and his voice had a definite hint of excitement to it.

"So…..what did you find?" Ke'gan quietly began to recount what he had seen.

"Jhakesully, there are many guards about, many Kyllteyka prowl around the base of Hometree, and many are scattered throughout the clearing." At these words, Jake's face fell slightly. Ke'gan held up his hand to prevent interruption.

"However, I spotted Odo'khal….he is near the edge of the clearing, over to the south, close to the lake." Jake's expression broke into a small grin, relieved that they had found Odo closeby, but still worried that the big Na'vi might move or wander from the spot.

Jake's mind began to whir with varying thoughts as he planned out his next move. After several minutes of silence, he turned back to Ke'gan.

"Good job, Ke'gan, but now I need you to wait here for Sym'si's return, while I take the others to find Odo."

Ke'gan nodded.

Jake turned to face the rest of the warriors, who were all assembled and awaiting his orders. Wordlessly, he gave two quick motions of his raised hand to indicate the direction they were taking and that they should follow him. Jake turned and started off through the brush, confident in his warriors' ability to accomplish their mission, especially now that their target had been sighted.

Silently, the eighteen warriors followed Jake.

After a short time, Jake came near the edge of the trees that bordered the lake. He turned to his left and could see the edge of Hometree about forty yards away. There were no fires lit on this end, and it was extremely hard to see anything. Jake peered through the darkness, using the light of the bioluminescent forest to guide his eyes.

Then he saw him.

Odo'khal was sitting with his back to the forest, perched upon a rock, looking back towards Hometree. He made no move or sound to indicate that he had heard their approach.

After waiting for several minutes to make sure that Odo'khal was alone, Jake set his plan in motion.

He got several of his warriors to help him set up a tight, double tripwire between two large trees.

Jake then ordered his force to split into two groups of nine warriors each and mass up behind the two trees. Each group carried the ends of several ropes, which had large stakes affixed to their ends. Once the ropes and positions were figured out, each group gave Jake a nod, indicating that they were ready.

Jake gave them a nod in return. He then crouched low in the brush near the tripwire and folded his hands together, leaving his thumbs positioned right next to each other. He then brought his hands to his mouth, and blowing through the small gap between his thumbs, he produced a long, lonesome call that resembled an owl from back on Earth.

Odo'khal's head rose slightly from where he had been staring at the ground. He looked up into Hometree for a second before looking back down again.

Jake gave the call again, this time moving his fingers back and forth to manipulate the sound of the call.

Odo'khal's head rose again and this time, he looked into the forest. Even thought he kept staring, he made no move to get up or stir.

Jake gave the call again, risking a little more volume to it, hoping to make it sound closer.

Still staring into the forest, Odo'khal slid off of his rock, and he came to stand at the edge of the forest, peering in, his eyes roving amongst the brightly lit foliage. He then took a few steps into the trees, and even from a distance, Jake could see the quizzical and curious expression plastered on Odo'khal's face.

"Never heard anything like that before, I'll wager" Jake said to himself in a dead whisper. He smiled slightly at Odo'khal's confusion before he put his hands to his lips once more and produced the call, holding it for a while to make sure that Odo'khal could hear it.

The huge Na'vi crouched slightly at the sound, and as he proceeded further into the forest, he reached down to his belt and pulled forth his knife, holding it in the position Jake had taught him, with the blade pointing downward, the edge facing away from him.

Jake couldn't help but notice this and allowed himself a small, proud smile. However, the smile died quickly as he realized the danger.

Odo, thinking them to be an enemy, could cause some serious damage with that blade, now that he knew how to wield it, without realizing that he was fighting friendlys.

He was getting closer.

Jake steeled himself, and he could feel his own muscles bunching involuntarily, preparing for the pounce. He silently and anxiously waited with baited breath, as Odo'khal came, step by step, closer to the tripwire.

fifteen yards.

Maybe closer.

Jake then realized that at this pace, the big Na'vi would feel the tripwire before actually tripping over it. He needed to be running when he the wire so as to let his momentum bring him down. Jake looked around for something, anything. He then turned to see that both Ke'gan and Sym'si were crouched behind him, watching Odo'khal's approach.

Jake motioned swiftly to them, whispering "GO! Run that way!" He pointed straight behind him, into the forest. "Make some noise, and let him see you running away."

Both warriors nodded and then standing up swiftly, pivoted and their heels and dashed into the brush, snapping twigs and rustling amongst the foliage.

Odo'khal's quick and keen eyes immediately saw them. Jake saw his eyes focus in and widen. He began to run, his heavy footfalls thudding and pounding at the ground beneath him.

He never saw the wire.

Odo'khal's huge form went flying forward for a few feet before landing sprawled on the ground in a shower of dirt and broken plants.

His knife fell from his hands and came to rest an arm's length from him.

Each group of warriors at each tree threw the other group an end to a rope, which were caught and then the stakes thrust deep into the ground. It was done in a trice.

The ropes tightened across Odo'khal's back and pinned him.

His reaction was instantaneous.

As soon as he felt the unwelcome weight and pressure of the ropes on his back, he attempted to surge up from the ground, pushing his rock like hands into the dirt in front of him.

The vine ropes stretched taut and the knots groaned, but they held.

Odo'khal suddenly reached for his knife where it lay and he was about to wrap his huge fingers around its hilt, when a foot stamped down upon his wrist, pinning his hand to the ground.

Odo'khal tried to rise once more as he looked up to see the object that was pressing down on his arm.

He struggled for a few more moments before being captivated by the five toed foot that was pinning his wrist into the dirt.

Jake could almost see the thoughts running through Odo'khal's head.

Five toes…..

Odo'khal slowly lifted his head up from where he lay and saw that the five toed foot was connected to a Na'vi with five fingers on each hand.

And eyebrows…

Any fury or rage that had been in his gaze and countenance fled his face to be replaced with a mixture of fear and frantic confusion. His face went a pale blue.

Jake stared back down at Odo'khal, his mouth turned into a crooked smile and his brows raised. He removed his foot from Odo'khal's hand.

Odo'khal simply stared back at Jake, his eyes wide with shock and his mouth slightly open, as if he was trying to say something, but the words would simply not come out.

Jake simply stood there and waited.

Slowly, Odo'khal licked his lips and then swallowed, his head craned turned towards Jake.

"I felt your stone cold body, I…buried you, this…..this….can't be." He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Jake. "You're….."

"Dead?" Jake finished for him, his brows still raised in a quizzical manner.

Odo'khal went silent.

Jake gave the signal to his warriors to pull the stakes from the ground. The ropes slackened.

Immediately, Odo'khal scrambled to his feet and began to back away from Jake, his eyes never leaving Jake's and never taking stock of the other warriors.

Jake chuckled. Odo seemed to become even more terrified by the sound. He stretched his hands out in front of him as if to ward off Jake.

"You…You cannot be here…..Jake is dead…Toruk Makto is dead…..I saw it with my own eyes."

Jake chuckled again, louder this time.

"And you're seeing me now with you own eyes this time too…and as you can see, Odo, I am very real and very much alive."

Odo'khal had now backed himself up against a tree, his terrified gaze still focused on Jake and his mouth moved to form words that never made it past his lips.

Jake was amused at the fact that Odo'khal, the strongest, biggest and most powerful Na'vi he knew, was backed up against a tree, shaking and terrified of him.

The huge Na'vi cowered under Jake's gaze, and Jake laughed openly.

"Odo! It's me, Jake! I'm alive! This isn't your mind…..I'm back"

Odo shook his head.

"This can't be real."

Something in Jake snapped and before he could account for what he was doing, he had whipped his knife from his belt, flipped it in his hand so that he caught its tip between his forefinger and thumb, brought his arm back and then threw it with considerable force.

The knife flashed through the air and came to rest quivering in the tree trunk three feet to the right of Odo'khal's head.

For the first time since he had seen Jake, Odo'khal's tore his eyes away and turned to the knife that stood shaking in the tree next to him. His face registered even more shock and he quickly turned back to Jake.

Jake's flashed him a toothy grin, but a slight hint of frustration was in his voice. He motioned with his hands to the knife lodged in the tree trunk.

"Is that real enough for you Odo? Or are that knife and me some sort of apparition of Eywa? C'mon, man! WAKE UP!"

Jake stood there, his chest heaving slightly from his small outburst, and his mind burned with frustration and tension. A small portion of his vitriol that he had worked so hard to control had become untethered and had vented itself upon Odo'khal.

It was merely Jake's overall anger at his plight that caused him to become angry. Hopefully Odo'khal understood this…

Suddenly and without warning, Odo'khal's face broke into a massive smile, and with a short hop of his huge stride, he had crossed the distance between himself and Jake.

Jake found himself enveloped between two arms that were like small tree trunks. His breath was then squeezed out of his body as Odo'khal's hug tightened into a vice like grip.

Jake wasn't sure, but he was suspicious that Odo'khal had just re-broken all of his newly healed ribs.

He was finally released from the massive hug, and he stumbled slightly when Odo'khal let go, his head swimming slightly from the pressure. A massive hand shot out and rested on his shoulder, steadying him.

Jake looked into huge yellow eyes that were alight with happiness and confusion. Odo'khal smiled at Jake, keeping his hand resting on Jake's shoulder.

"Jake…how is this possible? I really did see your body, I buried you!" Jake smiled. He looked at Odo'khal and threw his hands up in mock exasperation.

"So you still don't think I'm alive or real?" Odo'khal chuckled.

"No…I know it is you now, I know that you're back…somehow."

Jake laughed, and mock glare creased his brow as he stared back at his friend.

"Oh do you now? What finally gave it away?" Odo'khal motioned to Jake's knife, still affixed into the trunk of the nearby tree.

"I don't think there is anyone on Pandora who can wield a blade like Toruk Makto."

Suddenly Odo'khal's face turned grave and a look of shame crossed his face. Jake noticed this and his brow furrowed inquisitively.

"What is it, Odo?" Odo'khal turned to look at him, his eyes slightly dimmed with an odd weight.

"Jake…we buried you….alive, that is unforgivable…..If I…" He was cut off by Jake slapping him on the back of his head. Odo'khal looked down at Jake, slightly confused.

"Odo, you couldn't have possibly known that I was alive, not when for all appearances, I was dead, you couldn't have done it differently, so don't worry about it, don't beat yourself up about it, Tsu'tey wanted it to be that way, he wanted me to be buried alive to truly degrade me. He considered it the ultimate revenge."

At the mention of Tsu'tey's name, Odo'khal became stone still and quiet. His jaw line became set and for a split second, he and Jake looked at each other, sharing an understanding of each other's rage and purpose.

Odo'khal explained to Jake that the situation at Hometree, under Tsu'tey, was quickly deteriorating into tyranny and madness. Jake listened, his mind racing as Odo'khal told him of Tsu'tey's actions and the confrontations between Neytiri and the Kyllteyka taronyu.

He questioned Odo'khal on the movements, habits and fighting abilities of the Kyllteyka. Odo'khal told him all that he knew, and together they entertained strategies and analyzed weaknesses in Hometree's defensive positions.

Jake began to relate back to Odo'khal what had really happened the day he had been captured by Tsu'tey in the forest, and how his alleged death had been made to look real so that Tsu'tey could slip back in amongst the Omaticaya in a position of power. He then told Odo'khal about how Max and Norm had rescued him just in time, unearthing and resuscitating him.

Jake motioned to the twenty warriors behind him and explained to Odo'khal how he had come to gain assistance from the other clans once again. He explained the rest of the plan, and described in full his final strategy for getting rid of and annihilating, if necessary, Tsu'tey and the Kyllteyka.

Jake's face turned alight with determination and anticipation as he spoke.

Odo'khal's eyes and face filled with a grim excitement upon hearing Jake's plans. Jake could see his own anticipation and fury mirrored in Odo'khal's face.

Jake smiled humorlessly at this.

He then reaches into his pouch and rings forth a comm link. He holds it out and Odo'khal takes it from Jake, eying the object in his hands with confusion.

"It's a communication device, like one of the ones we used in the Last Battle." Jake mimed to Odo'khal how to use it and they tested the devices, making sure they worked.

Jake explained to Odo'khal that it was imperative that he be alone tomorrow morning at sunrise, so that Jake could relay the plan concerning Norm's visit to Hometree.

"Norm will be able to handle Tsu'tey by sucking up enough" Jake explained "What I need you to do is to basically keep the Kyllteyka off him and be his protection detail. Also, see if you cant keep Tsu'tey distracted when Norm talks to Neytiri."

Odo'khal nods his understanding.

Jake's face then turns grave. His gaze becomes downcast.

Odo'khal pauses, unsure as whether to say something.

Suddenly, Jake looks back up at Odo'khal, his eyes slightly desperate and his expression was saddened slightly.

"I need you to do something for me, Odo….more so than you are already doing…..I guess I need to ask two special favors of you."

Odo'khal nodded slightly, signaling Jake to continue. Jake's gaze flickered left and then right before locking onto Odo'khal's.

"When the attack begins, I need you to do two things." He paused. Odo'khal remained silent. "I need you to make sure Neytiri is out of the way of the fighting. I need you to get her away from Tsu'tey before the attack begins, so that when he fighting starts, hopefully she will be inside Hometree."

Odo'khal nodded once more, his silent reply to Jake's request. Jake continued.

"Secondly, I need you to rally all of the Omaticaya warriors into Hometree and have them ready for the attack. If all goes as planned, Tsu'tey will be left at Hometree with a small force and the full complement of Omaticaya tsamsiyu will occupy whatever Kyllteyka are left…..so that I can deal with him."

Odo'khal's mind flared with fierce excitement at the way Jake had said those last words. The way Jake had uttered the words "deal with him" in a flat, dangerous tone had made Odo'khal smirk slightly.

Jake's expression caused Odo'khal's smirk to fall from his face, Jake still looked slightly pleading, almost desperate. Odo'khal raised his eyebrows, silently questioning his friend. Jake swallowed and ran a hand through his hair before once again turning to look at Odo'khal.

"I'm asking you this as the most dire favor….that you look after Neytiri the next few days before the attack. I'm asking as a friend…..please….I can't be there, not yet….so I need you to keep Tsu'tey away from her and look after her. "

Jake's expression now resembled a mixture of sadness, frustration, and anger as he pleaded with his friend.

Odo'khal gave a soft smile before placing his hand on Jake's shoulder. Jake stood stock still as Odo'khal's vicelike grip tightened on his shoulder. Odo'khal's eyes bored into his as the giant spoke.

"Jake, as my olo'eyktan, I will do as you ask, for I am a faithful servant of the Omaticaya…..but as my true friend, I give you my word…..I will protect Neytiri with my life."

Jake and Odo'khal parted that night, Odo' khal returning to Hometree with his role in the upcoming events established and Jake feeling a surge in confidence at having achieved the first part of his plan.

Jake's heart felt lighter than it had in two months.

He was still worried sick about Neytiri, he was still anxious about his plans succeeding.

He was guilty about so many suffering so much because of the hatred that Tsu'tey bore for him.

But all of that inner turmoil slightly diminished at the knowledge that his best friend was back by his side, ready to fight, and that the most powerful guardian or sentinel he could have installed, was vigilantly keeping watch on the most treasured thing in his life.

* * *

A/N: Really unsure whether I like this or not, but its what I published so cant take it back now...or i will if I deem it bad enough, but hopefully I wrote something worthwhile here. Anyway, please review! I need some inspiration for the next chapter. Its going to be extremely difficult to write. Hope it wont take too long though. It might. Just warning you guys ahead of time. Anway, take it easy. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	16. Token of Time

A/N: Chapter 16! Sweet! I'm so glad I finally got this one up. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one. Hopefully it isnt too slow...and if it is...oh well! Cheers. Read. Enjoy. Read some more. Review. Review, etc.

Disclaimer: Dude...

**Token of Time**

Neytiri's eyes snapped open and she shot up in her hammock, her limbs thrashing about as she came to. The bright sunlight of the morning assaulted her floundering senses, bright and radiant but unwelcome as it often is to one who has been traveling in darkness and night.

Her movements caused the ni'vi to rock violently from side to side, and for a moment Neytiri held on to the sides of the woven material in stricken surprise and shock, her body involuntarily preparing for the seemingly inevitable fall when the hammock pitched over.

Despite her violent actions, the hammock did not flip over, and it eventually leveled out, becoming more gentle in its swinging.

Neytiri waited until the hammock was nearly at a dead stop before cautiously lifting herself from the suspended bed, and stepping onto a branch of Hometree directly beside where her hammock hung.

She steadied herself on the branch with both hands and feet, some of her usual grace and agility deserting her in her shock and distress.

Being with child did nothing for her physical prowess either.

She slowly and unsteadily made her way over to lean against the trunk of Hometree.

She gently slid down until she was sitting up against the trunk, her knees brought in close to her chest, or as close as they could, now that her stomach protruded out from her body significantly now.

She put her head in her hands as a few tremors shook her frame and a shiver ran down her spine. Her hands dimmed the light of the sun, and her mind began to resurrect the spectral images of her dreamscapes.

It had been so real…

So terrifying…

Her dream had seen her lost in a terrible world of flame and ash. She had been surrounded by huge walls of flame, and somewhere of in the distance, it had seemed…she had heard Jake.

His voice had floated through the dull roars and bellows of the inferno to reach her ears, and at first she had doubted hearing anything other than the wind stoking the flames.

Then she had heard it again…except it had seemed closer.

Somewhere in her terror ridden dream, Neytiri's mind had told her that Jake was dead and that she was hearing things. But his voice had seemed so real that she cast aside doubt and called out to him, the thought of seeing Jake again, and amongst all of this ruin, caused Neytiri's mind to race and her heart to burn with longing.

His voice had kept calling out, and it seemed to get closer, but she never could see him amongst the dull red glow of the flames. Her mind was slowly cracking from having Jake seemingly be so close and yet not appear to her.

Judging by his voice, he seemed to be right next to her, but even as she had frantically scanned the scorched land around her, she saw no sign of him.

Suddenly, she had heard a terrible roar, a primal sound of fear, rage and desperation.

She knew the sound to be that of Jake in terrible pain and anger.

She cried out to him, blindly reaching out in front her, through the curtains of falling ash, hoping beyond hope that Jake would find her and they could escape this blazing desolation.

Another roar made itself heard above the raging chaos, and Neytiri could hear the absolute note of sorrow in Jake's voice.

Then, she had suddenly run forward, bent upon finding Jake, but the ground had given way beneath her and she fell through cold, unfathomable darkness.

A cold rush had caused her to ascend out of her haunted and terrifying dreams.

Now she sat with her back to Hometree, her eyes still closed as she tried to process the terror of her dreams. Her training as Tsahik made her analyze the dream questioning whether it had been a vision or omen of some kind.

She had just gotten into a meditative trance, one in which she would scrutinize the dream, determining its origin and purpose, and pray to Eywa for guidance, when her reverie was sundered by Tsu'tey's callous voice calling up to her.

"Princess! Where are you? Why do you lie sleeping when I, your olo'eyktan and soon to be mate, am hungry….there is a fresh kill coming in with the taronyu, come cook for your mate."

Neytiri's eyes tore open, and she saw Tsu'tey standing on a branch below where she sat now.

She took in his wicked smirk and glaring eyes, and she curled her own lip in disgust.

"I cannot do what you ask, o great olo'eyktan" Her voice carried blatant sarcasm. "…for my mate is dead, and I see no way to provide sustenance for the dead."

Her voice became bitter as she spoke of Jake, and she felt as if some burning substance were on her tongue as she spoke of his passing.

At her words, Tsu'tey's smirk only widened and he suddenly bounded up to her branch and advanced upon her.

With the natural skill and instinct of a Na'vi huntress, she was on her feet in only a moment, and she stood crouched, ready for Tsu'tey's attack.

Tsu'tey's hand rose as if he was going to slap her.

Neytiri's hand shot to the hilt of her knife.

Tsu'tey's eyes glinted with spite.

Neytiri's eyes narrowed and she bared her fangs, letting out a vicious hiss.

Tsu'tey's smirk faltered slightly at her display of hostility, but he hitched it up onto his arrogant face again and whispered in a low, venomous tone.

"I love it very much when you are angry at me; it makes you all the more beautiful….."

With one last glance laden with arrogance and cruelty, he had spun on his heel and descended into the branches below.

Neytiri allowed herself to back onto the tree again, and she rested herself against the massive trunk.

She closed her eyes and tried to shut out Tsu'tey's face and words as they rang in her head. That was something Jake would have said to her, but with his lopsided grin, and playful mischief lighting up his eyes.

Tsu'tey's voice was anything but playful, and his words were poisoned with his malice.

Neytiri shuddered, trying once again to calm herself and compose her appearance, as she was due down at her mother's alcove now. She needed to hurry down to the healer tree.

As she descended Hometree, Neytiri's thoughts turned to her mother.

Ever since Tsu'tey had slapped Moat and declared his full intentions and tyranny to the tribe, Moat had become much more reclusive, often never leaving the healer alcove, and she was rarely seen in Hometree itself.

Neytiri was concerned for her mother, that Moat took on undue guilt and blame for Tsu'tey's actions. Moat had already told Neytiri on several occasions that she was sorry that she had allowed this to happen. Neytiri had repeatedly told Moat that it wasn't her fault. Neytiri knew that Moat knew this too, but the grief and turmoil of recent events had clouded her mind.

Neytiri barely noticed, so wrapped up in thought was she, that she had descended Hometree and was now stepping onto the ground of the clearing.

She automatically started to make her way through the crowds of people towards the healer tree that lay across the clearing. She did not look up as she moved aside for a contingent of taronyu that jogged past.

Everyone's head, including Neytiri's, shot up, when a sharp horn blast rang out through the clearing.

Neytiri knew the sound to be that of heralding call of an Omaticaya tsamsiyu horn. The note was soon answered by the raucous and grating sounds of Kyllteyka horns, as if in mockery of the original note.

Neytiri squinted as she saw the foliage at the far end of the clearing beginning to rustle and shake.

Odo'khal emerged from the brush, pushing another figure ahead of him.

It was another Na'vi, and by the look of the newcomer, Neytiri thought it to be a male. She eagerly craned her neck to look over the heads of the taronyu standing in front of her, and she saw that she had been correct, that it had been a male, though he was slightly shorter than usual.

Then the young male raised his head, and Neytiri gasped slightly as she recognized him.

It was Norm.

She rushed through the crowd of taronyu in front of her and she came to stand right in front of Odo'khal as he walked up with Norm.

Neytiri could see that Odo'khal had one hand on Norm's shoulder, and the other pinning both of Norm's hands against his back. Odo'khal's huge hand easily encompassed both of Norm's and gripped them tightly.

Neytiri's brow creased in confusion. Why was Odo'khal leading Norm in as some sort of prisoner? Norm was an honorary member of the tribe…he had a right to be here.

Just then, Odo'khal caught her eye, and he gave her the slightest smile and a glance that was his attempt at soothing her concern.

Neytiri looked to Norm, about to ask him what he was doing here, as she had not seen him in months, not since the party that was held for the year anniversary of the war.

Norm caught her eyes and shook his head, effectively silencing her questioning. He then quickly, but significantly closed his right eye and gave her a wry smile.

Neytiri recognized Norm's eye movement to be a tawtute gesture, known as a 'wink'. She had learned about it from Jake, and she knew that it was a gesture that someone used when they wanted to convey information or meaning in a subtle or silent manner. She knew Norm's 'wink' had some significance to it and she wisely opted to follow Norm's cue and remained silent.

Just then, a commotion broke out behind her, and she turned to see that a small force of Kyllteyka were wading through the crowd towards Odo'khal and Norm.

Silently, Neytiri watched as the Kyllteyka pushed through the crowds, and she felt anger grow as she witnessed the way they treated the Omaticaya with disdain and impudence.

Finally, the Kyllteyka made it through the crowd and came to a halt as they saw Odo'khal with another Na'vi held in the manner reserved for renegades and prisoners.

Each one of the Kyllteyka made sure they were standing out of striking distance from Odo'khal, as most of the rogue Na'vi were still terrified of him after witnessing what the giant Na'vi was capable of.

The memory of Odo'khal's berserk rage and frightening strength still clearly lingered in their minds as they slowly spread out, encircling Odo'khal and Norm, but clearly staying far out of Odo'khal's reach.

They lowered the tips of their spears so that they were pointing at the pair.

Neytiri chanced a glance at Norm and saw that his face was as she had never seen it before. Norm's usual happy and curious countenance had been replaced by one of cold determination, his eyes not focusing on the Kyllteyka that surrounded him, and his face showed the strain of concentration.

The tense air was only thickened as a cold, menace laden voice called out from behind Neytiri.

"What do sky demons want here? Scum of another world, ketuwong, do not belong here."

Neytiri once more turned to see Tsu'tey striding out towards them. The crowd had parted, leaving his passage clear.

He swaggered through the parted mass, the arrogance of his manner apparent in his gait and the swing of his arms.

He came to stop several paces from Norm and Odo'khal. His eyes showed nothing but disdain and his voice carried contempt in it as he spoke to Norm.

"The elders, under the delusional claims of the Tsahik and that dreamwalker filth, may have made you a member of the People, but I assure you that I override their delegation of that title upon you, and I rescind it now, and utterly reject the idea of any dreamwalker being part of the Omaticaya."

Neytiri looked back at Norm, and saw that the look of focused and cold determination had vanished and was replaced by a mask of aloof and subdued submission.

Norm suddenly slipped his hands from Odo'khal's grip and he dipped into a deep bow and brought his hands out in an elaborate gesture of greeting to Tsu'tey, speaking in flawless, eloquent Na'vi as he did so.

"Hail! Tsu'tey! The rightful olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya has returned…..I bow before you, hoping, though you cast me from the clan, that I may serve you in some form, as one who is a faithful servant of the Omaticaya would."

Tsu'tey looked suddenly shocked by Norm's impeccable command of Na'vi, and Neytiri could see that Norm's words of flattery caused a slight, smug smile to escape from Tsu'tey's otherwise cold and hateful countenance.

Suddenly, Neytiri recognized Norm's actions for what they were, and her confusion abated. She had been extremely hurt and angry, though she had not shown it, when Norm had referred to Tsu'tey as the 'rightful' olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya. She had known Jake and Norm to be close friends, and thusly had been about to hurt Norm for betraying Jake's memory with his courteous words to Tsu'tey.

However, Neytiri realized what Norm was doing, and she watched, inwardly holding back her own smirk as she watched Norm play the sycophant.

Tsu'tey cast an appraising look over Norm, as if reexamining him and faltering in his assumption that Norm was some vile ketuwong. However, Tsu'tey hastily fell back into his cold gaze and posture.

"Though you be a ketuwong, and the thought of you staining the ground of Hometree with your very presence offends me greatly, I see that you are not without manners, and I must admit it is refreshing to see one of you dreamwalkers who does not butcher our language. I can clearly see that you have quite the fair speech…."

Tsu'tey paused.

"However, your courteous manner does not indicate why you, as a ketuwong expelled from the clan, would want to help me, the very person who would have you stripped of what membership you had amongst these people."

Tsu'tey waved his arms as he spoke, gesturing to the whole of the assembled crowd, and his eyes came to rest rigidly on Norm as he spoke the last words.

Norm once again made a bow, and after rising, he indicated back over his shoulder.

"Great olo'eyktan, I submit myself before you because I surely am in your debt….for you have been kind and gracious enough to let the last of the dreamwalkers stay at the sky people base, and for that, we thank you, and we owe you allegiance, for without your kindness we would be either turned out into the jungle or taken back to our own world, where we would be punished for fighting alongside the Na'vi."

Tsu'tey looked slightly perplexed by Norm's answer, as if unsure of its logic or surprised by the fact that Norm saw him as responsible for securing their place at Hell's Gate.

Tsu'tey stared at Norm, as if examining him closer. Norm stared back, and Neytiri could see that Norm was dimming the usual intelligent light that emanated from his gaze, whether he be in Na'vi or human form.

Neytiri could tell that Norm's ploy was working, that Tsu'tey thought himself to be smarter than this ketuwong, as he called Norm.

She smiled to herself, and continued to watch as Norm reached into a pack he had been carrying and withdrew from it a necklace of great craftsmanship and beauty. Norm held it forth to Tsu'tey.

The object was a brilliantly colored affair, with a small, metal chain, and many elaborate works of colored beads, feathers, and small pieces of dark metal woven onto the chain. In the center of the necklace hung a single claw, one that Neytiri recognized as the claw of a palulukan.

It immediately captivated Tsu'tey. Neytiri could see that the combination of Norm's flattery and this gift had the desired effect. Tsu'tey became totally absorbed in his gift as he snatched it ungratefully out of Norm's hands.

Norm watched Tsu'tey as he turned the necklace over and over in his hands, admiring it. As Tsu'tey's eyes were turned to the necklace, he did not see the flare of fury that passed over Norm's face.

Neytiri noticed it, though.

Norm broke his gaze from Tsu'tey, who was still admiring his new acquired finery, and turned his head to look at Odo'khal. Neytiri saw the smallest of nods pass between them, and they both turned to glance briefly at her.

She was slightly confused at this, but Norm prevented her from dwelling on it when he turned to Tsu'tey, and performed yet another bow.

"Olo'eyktan, I dearly hope that the craftsmanship of dreamwalker hands can still be worthy of your taste, and that this gift which I have given to you, can be as a token of good will between the Omaticaya and those of us at the tawtute base. I also would ask you, o great olo'eyktan, to view the necklace as a symbol of our devotion and loyalty to the olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya, who has mercifully given us a place to live, when just as easily, in rage and grief over the turmoil of the war, could have expelled us from this planet utterly…"

Norm paused, faltering slightly in his flowing courtly manner.

"Olo'eyktan I would ask one favor of you, though…."

Tsu'tey gave a slight wave of his hand to indicate that Norm should continue, but his eyes never left the necklace.

"I would request an audience with the Princess Neytiri, as I have a gift for her also and a prayer to offer to praise and bless her upcoming union with you."

Tsu'tey nodded in acknowledgement of Norm's words, and a small smirk appeared once more on his face.

"Yes, but keep it brief….she needs to go with me soon, so that we may speak to her mother about our upcoming timunxta."

Norm rose from his slightly stooped position and turned to Neytiri, his eyes now displaying wariness and caution. He walked over to her, with Odo'khal following. Norm immediately put his hand up to forestall any questions by Neytiri.

"C'mon, we have to find someplace slightly more private." Norm began to walk across the clearing towards the massive trunk of Hometree. Odo'khal gently shepherded Neytiri along in Norm's wake.

Once over by Hometree, both Norm and Odo'khal turned and made sure that Tsu'tey was still distracted.

He was.

He was currently displaying his new necklace to a whole group of Kyllteyka taronyu, gesturing to the palulukan claw.

That was ideal.

Norm turned back to Neytiri, and Odo'khal took up position in front of them, effectively blocking them from view from the rest of the clan, and most importantly Tsu'tey.

Norm quickly reached into his pack, and from it, withdrew a small sack. He brought the sack up and gently shoved it into Neytiri's hands.

Neytiri stood there, totally confused, unsure of what she was supposed to be doing, and totally at a loss for what Norm had just given her.

Norm noticed her apparent confusion, and waving his arms around frantically, he gestured towards Hometree.

"There's no time to explain exactly what's going on…but just know that I know what happened, and that sack has some things that Jake wanted you have."

Though her heart burned at Norm's mention of Jake, Neytiri could not stop her mouth from hanging slightly open, her confusion at an all time high. She looked down at the sack, peering into it slightly before looking back up at Norm. He smiled at her slightly.

"The main reason I came here was to give these things to you, Tsu'tey's 'gift' was meant to just be a distraction so I could give these to you, without him being aware of it. In that sack you will find a necklace of Jake's that he used to wear in the Marines. They provided a way to identify his body if he was ever killed in battle…..they're called dog tags."

Norm paused upon seeing Neytiri's face cloud over with sadness. Norm closed his eyes and swore under his breath. He reached out a hand and placed it on Neytiri's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Neytiri…..I forgot, I wasn't thinking…I was just trying to explain what they are, I mean….."

Neytiri silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Do not worry Norm, I know that you only meant to help me understand Jake's wishes in giving these things to me. I understand, I really do."

Norm smiled slightly before pointing at the sack in Neytiri's hands once more.

"In there you will also find two pieces of hard paper, with images imprinted upon them…..they are called photographs….they record and depict whatever point in time the picture was taken so that people can go back and view or reflect on a certain time."

Norm's eyebrows rose as he looked at Neytiri, silently questioning her as to whether she had just understood anything from the explanation he just given.

She nodded slightly, but a quizzical look remained on her face.

Norm raised his hand once more to stop her seemingly inevitable interruption.

"I'm really sorry, Neytiri, but I really can't explain any more right now, I can tell that Tsu'tey's attention is already waning, so I don't have any more time..."

Norm glanced over his shoulder and saw Tsu'tey looking around, his head craning as he peered through the crowds, apparently looking for him.

Norm turned back to Neytiri, his eyes alert and his finger pointed at the central spiral of Hometree.

"You have to go NOW! Tsu'tey is already looking for you, I will distract him and buy you some more time. Take these things I've given you and hide them someplace….a place where Tsu'tey won't find them….."

He reached out and put a hand on Neytiri's shoulder, giving her one last small smile.

"I know things suck right now, but don't lose hope, things won't stay like this, I promise you, you'll see…..soon."

Before she could say anything else, Norm had turned her around and given her a light push in the back in the direction of the central spiral.

Neytiri glance back over her shoulder to see Norm and Odo'khal walking back over to Tsu'tey.

She knew they were providing her with precious time to hide the objects that Norm had bestowed upon her. She did not hesitate any longer and she fled rapidly up Hometree, heading for her alcove.

When she reached the entrance to her alcove, she stopped and looked around, her eyes and ears alert for anyone that might be following her. After a minute of silence, save for the wind lightly rustling the boughs of Hometree, Neytiri threw aside the curtain and entered.

She immediately felt out place, even though it was her alcove.

But it was the alcove she had shared with Jake….

After Jake's death, she had taken to sleeping anywhere her grief ridden body had dropped, but she now slept amongst unmated hunters, in her old ni'vi, and thusly she had had no reason to enter the alcove that she had long avoided. It brought back too many memories of Jake.

Now that she was back inside of it, the memories of the times she had Jake had spent in there seemed to materialize and hang over her head like darkling clouds. Her eyes passed over the small objects that had made up her and Jake's humble home.

She felt the beginnings of tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, but she pushed them back, as she often did nowadays, and she walked over to the moss covered bed she used to share with Jake.

She once again hesitated to make sure nobody was nearby before she sat down on the cool moss and pulled the string that held the sack closed.

Silently, the string came off and the four corners of the cloth that made up the sack fell apart.

Neytiri sat there, staring down at three different objects: A shiny necklace with two pieces attached to it, and two small pieces of colored paper.

She reached down and picked up the necklace that Norm had referred to as 'dog tags'. She let the cool metal of the tiny chain fall through her hands as she held up the pieces into the sunlight to see what they read.

There was writing engraved into a smooth metal. She could not tell what some of the symbols were, but she did know some 'Ingilisi words.

Unlike many Na'vi who learned how to speak English, Neytiri and a small few were the only ones who could speak it well enough to have Grace actually teach them how to read and write English.

She could never get to the point where any of them could write at all, but Neytiri and several others learned how to read quickly, and before Grace's school was shut down, Neytiri had been able to read basic sentences and important phrases.

She now applied all that she had learned as she scrutinized the small lettering of the words imprinted upon the metal:

"Marine Force Recon

Sully

Jacob, B.

447-767-0747

A Positive

None"

Neytiri pored over the words inscribed into the metal, but she could only decipher Jake's name.

He had told her once that Jake was only a shortened version of his real, full name. She had considered it stupid to have three names, but Jake explained that a first name was a personal name, while the middle name was usually in remembrance of a past family member, and the third name, or surname as he called it, was a strictly a family name.

Neytiri could not comprehend the other information on the metal tab, but she assumed it must have been important to Jake when he had been in the Marines. She lifted the necklace by its small chain, and stretching it out between her fingers, she placed the necklace about her neck.

She made a silent vow right there that she would wear Jake's 'dog tags' for the rest of her life. She spent several moments hiding the dog tags under her necklace. She would never let anyone take them off of her, and she would cherish them as a reminder of her former life.

After making sure the dog tags were hidden amongst her necklace, she reached over and picked up one of the pictures Norm had given to her.

It was a picture of Jake and her, as they both sat on the toruk. They sat astride the ferocious beast while the remnants of RDA forces scattered across the tarmac in the background.

Neytiri realized the picture must have been taken right after the last battle, right before they sent the humans back to their ships.

She runs her finger over the picture, soaking up the image and relishing the memory.

Jake, as the picture showed, had worn a ferocious smile, one born of victory, and he had raised his hand to the sky, and the Na'vi tsamsiyu had cheered their victory cries, chanting that Toruk Makto had led them to victory.

Neytiri felt the same awe now, looking at the picture, that she had felt that day.

How the sixth Toruk Makto had chosen her, she would never know, but she saw the toruk and Jake together, and she felt a sense of pride was over her.

She had been so proud of Jake that day, and the memory of that day would remain proud within her mind, and whenever she looked at this picture, she would not grieve, but she would hold high Jake's name and his deeds, for they were worthy of being remembered.

Neytiri set down the first picture and picked up the second one.

She smiled and held back a few tears as she looked upon a scene from when she and Jake had danced at war anniversary celebration. Norm had surprised them with the camera when they were leaning into each other, their foreheads and noses touching, and both stared deeply into the others eyes.

Neytiri choked back a small sob and she smiled even wider when she saw the smile that she sported. She had stood there, smiling, staring up into Jake's eyes. He had stared back, but he was wearing one of his most brilliant smiles, one of the ones that had driven Neytiri insane.

Neytiri had always been entranced by Jake's smile. Even before the war, Tsu'tey had always been so serious, and many of the other Na'vi seldom smiled.

Jake's constant and brilliant smile was so alien, so different, but at the same time, so genuine. Jake's smile had truly been an indicator of the man beneath, the boyish charm and the fierce warrior.

Neytiri missed Jake's smile so much, and the picture she held in her hands was proof that at one time, she and Jake had seemed beyond happiness, so wrapped up in each other they had been. The picture practically exuded the joy that they had felt at the moment the picture was taken.

As Neytiri stared at the picture, she eventually failed to stop the few lone tears that slipped from her eyes as she realized that these pictures and Jake's dog tags.

However, her tears were of happiness, as she realized that though their time had been short, she had never been more happy, than when she was with Jake. The pictures reminded her that Jake helped her to live more in a couple of years than she had at all in her life before she had met him.

Neytiri slowly reached down and stroked the bulge of her stomach, smiling as she rubbed small patterns on her cerulean skin.

Though the child within her would never know their father, and that fact alone was too hard for her to dwell on, Neytiri realized that their love had generated another life; to know that a part of Jake would live on in her eveng was enough to diminish Neytiri's grief.

She sat there in the alcove, forgetting the world outside, thinking only of the sea and of the sky, sending the calming sensations of water and air through the bond to her child.

She had begun to feel the bond suddenly grow within the past week. Sudden flares of emotions and inchoate thoughts would form in her head and then seemingly send impulses that traveled down her spine and into another mind.

Neytiri had been shocked at first, but now she was joyful every time she felt her child announced its presence through the bond. She constantly plumbed the feelings and sensations she was getting, scrutinizing them so as to determine the sex of her child.

Once again, she received an answer to her calming thoughts.

It seemed especially strong, and a resounding sense of happiness filled the bond.

Neytiri smiled, and she stroked her belly lovingly, speaking as she did.

"One time your father…..before I ever met him, even though I watched him from a nearby tree, well, he startled a angtsik, a big male. Your father, though he be a lone dreamwalker, and woefully inexperienced, he stood his ground…..he faced the challenge offered up by the bull angtsik, and the animal backed off. Well….of course, your father being the man he was, immediately thought it was because of his own bravery and physical prowess. I could plainly see that the animal had backed off because there was a huge female palulukan stalking the herd…..and now your father. Before I could do anything, the palulukan began to chase your father, and they ran all through the forest. Eventually, your father escaped and somehow ended up crossing back across my path later in the night, and the rest…"

Neytiri looked down at her stomach.

"….is a story for another time."

In response to her words, Neytiri felt a strong surge of happiness through the bond.

Very strong. Thoughts of laughter and playfulness entered her head.

She smiled.

Then, from somewhere else inside of her mind, a second surge of happiness flared. Similar but separate.

Neytiri's smile faltered as her mouth fell open in amazement.

She sat there trying to process her own thoughts while she distinctly felt two sources of happiness within the bond. At her thoughts of incredulity, the two disturbances within the bond became confused.

One suddenly turned slightly sad, while the other merely sent uncertain and questioning impulses.

Neytiri sat there, with both hands placed upon her stomach, not daring to believe….

It wasn't possible…..

There had never been tell of any Na'vi who had given birth to…

But Jake had spoken of his brother, Thomas, whom he had called a twin. Jake had explained that he and Tommy had been identical twins, that they were born together, and they had looked exactly alike.

But no Na'vi had ever recorded being a twin of any kind…never in the history that the Singers spoke of was there any account of a female giving birth to twins.

But Jake was not fully a Na'vi, and he had been a twin…

Could it be…..?

Her bafflement suddenly turned to happiness as the implications of what she had just realized fully sunk in. She looked down at her stomach and could not fathom that not only was there one child growing within her, but now she knew, as she felt both disturbances in the bond, that she was carrying two children.

Two?

Neytiri's happiness in turn caused her to receive two different impulses, both laden with happiness.

They sensed their mother, and her happiness, and thus, they were happy.

Neytiri raised her eyes to the sky to offer a quick prayer of thanks to Eywa, her happiness doubling as she realized that she had been given two reminders of Jake.

Right then and there, Neytiri made a silent oath to her children that she would never let her own pain prevent her from being the mother that she needed to be and the mother that Jake would have wanted her to be.

She turned on her hell and race through the opening to the alcove, heading downwards.

She had some very interesting news for her mother.

* * *

A/N: Well, its official, the gears are turning, and war is coming! Hopefully there are people still reading my story, so hopefully people will be around to see whats going to happen. Hopefully, whatever happens, it will be better than this exercise in mediocrity that I just published. I personally vow that the climax chapters will not suck ass. I take that as a solemn oath. Too bad I didnt do that for this chapter. I had a bitch of a time writing this chapter. If anyone wants to roast me on my Neytiri/child interactions, feel free, I will understand. I recognize the fact that I have no possible clue on how to write something like that, so what did I do, I did what always works for me (most of the time), I wing it and hope for the best (sounds like every exam I ever took). Oh well! Onward and upwards, as they say. PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEWS IN MY INBOX ARE TO UPDATES WHAT LIQUID OXYGEN IS TO THE SPACE SHUTTLE! REVIEW, GODDAMMIT! Take it easy.


	17. The New Dawn

A/N: Chapter 17! Man, I havnt published two chapters this quickly in a while. Had fun writing this one. Hope my swift writing doesn't equate to it sucking donkey balls. If it does, oh well! Too bad! I am far too happy about writing the upcoming VERY EXCITING chapters to care about those minor details. Not saying i dont care, Im just saying that im excited about writing battle scenes. What can I say? Read. Review. Repeat. Review some more.

Disclaimer: I would maintain that I have done nothing in writing this story, though already using, for the most part, pre-existing characters, that can be construed as profitable or wrong in any form, legal or otherwise, thus precluding the notion that I have infringed copyright laws. Hopefully.

**The New Dawn**

Jake was right in the middle of restringing his new bow when suddenly he stopped…looked up and turned his head from side to side, peering through the dim light that permeated the hangar at Hell's Gate.

He could have sworn that he heard someone cry out just then. He had heard it as if it had been right next to him.

He turned on his heel, setting the unstrung bow down as he did, and then walked towards the giant entrance of the hangar.

His feet silently padded over the cold polished floor of the hangar, and his gaze shifted between the edges of the huge space, as if expecting to see someone pop out from some shadow or corner.

He heard the cry again, but this time, it seemed to resound inside his own head, rather than reverberating around the hangar.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the fleeting sound.

As he submerged his mind into his deeper consciousness, he became distinctly aware of a certain sensation and feeling surging about in his mind.

Happiness…..Elation….

It was in his mind and yet external to his own solidified, coherent consciousness.

It took him only a second to realize that he was feeling an extreme emotion of Neytiri's through the bond, and that she was….happy.

What could she possibly be happy about? What had happened?

Jake's mind began to race with possibilities. Had something happened directly to her? To someone in the clan? How could she be happy if all that Odo'khal had told him was true?

Jake sent his brain into overdrive, pondering possible circumstances under which Neytiri would be this jubilant about something.

He tried to think and focus on Neytiri's feeling at the same time, but found that it was impossible to do both, so he settled for sitting down, cross legged, on the hangar floor and concentrating on examining the happy thoughts he was receiving through the bond.

Something came through that felt like Neytiri talking softly to herself…

Then Jake felt a surge of happiness, and somehow it felt almost…..childlike in its simplicity and tone.

That was it.

Something had happened with his unborn son or daughter, that had to be the reason Neytiri was so happy.

What had happened though?

Jake opened his eyes, and could not help the wave of shame and anger that washed over him.

He should be clinging to every single bit of happiness that was coming through the bond, but he couldn't….

Here he was, sitting in the building that housed the remnants and memories of his old life, and Neytiri was all alone, caring and looking out for herself while she carried their child.

She was there, bonding with their child….he was missing out on it all.

Jake felt sick with himself.

He took a deep breath, sighed, and then closed his eyes once more, to try and reestablish contact within the bond.

Despite his anger and frustration, Jake was beyond eager to get any information about his unborn child.

He tried one last time to sink into the impulses and shimmering sensations of the bond, but he found that his whole being was buzzing with pent up fury.

It was no use.

Jake decided that a flight on Smaug would clear his mind.

Flying always did.

Also, he hadn't ridden Smaug in what seemed like ages, so often had his need been for the impressive and sturdy toruk. The giant winged predator had better endurance for long flights, and could easily outstrip an ikran over a long period of time, thus the toruk had been the logical choice for Jake to take on his long journey to the Plains and the Eastern Sea.

Jake stood from where he had sat on the hangar floor, and he shielded his eyes as he walked from the concrete building into the bright sunlight of high noon.

It was hot, humid, and bright.

Jake fanned himself. It had been nice and cool in the shade of the hangar.

Now the heat of the sun's power and his own anger coursing through him caused Jake to feel like he was about to expire of heat stroke.

Not to mention the tarmac beneath his feet felt like a bed of hot coals. Jake alternated lifting his feet, cursing the hard, blackened asphalt beneath him.

He couldn't wait to get in the air and let the cool breeze soothe his seemingly parched skin, and his blazing fury.

He walked further out onto to the tarmac, so that he could see in all directions, and so he could be easily seen by Smaug.

Jake looked around to make sure that the lazy ikran wasn't hanging around on the fence like he usually did.

Nothing.

Jake let out a yell, and at the same time, sent out thoughts of flying, hoping that Smaug would pick up on the impulses and come to him.

He tried once more to alert his ikran of his presence and his desire to leave the ground, but still he was rewarded with burnt feet and silence.

He turned on his heel and started to head back towards the hangar, now he was even angrier that his ikran wouldn't obey, and that he now had singed toes as a result of his efforts.

Just then, a screech echoed out overhead, and Jake turned.

Smaug was flying low over the tarmac, approaching from the north, his wings outstretched in a graceful glide as he steadied himself for landing.

Jake stopped and turned fully to face the ikran as he came closer.

With a flurry of wings and a hop skip of his clawed feet, Smaug had landed next to Jake and was now nuzzling Jake's closed fist in a attempt at what seemed to Jake some form or apology and consolement.

Jake tried to keep up his scowl that he had been wearing, to convince himself that Smaug had done something wrong, but before long, Jake's hand unclenched and his face broke into a smile.

He reached out and stroked the ikran's long, scaly snout.

He wasn't angry at Smaug, and he was truly happy to see his smaller, winged companion.

"You know" Jake said, staring into the ikran's fierce green eyes and scratching the underside of the creature's jaw. "I'm glad you came….you're a lot friendlier than that other guy, and you're a lot easier on a guy's undercarriage on long rides…every time I fly with that big orange lizard, I feel like I'll be bowlegged for life, and let's just say that certain pieces of the puzzle are out of place and need rearranging. "

Jake smiled and looked down at Smaug.

An eager light was in the ikran's orange eyes, as he sensed what Jake wanted, and just as Jake was anxious to ride, Smaug was eager to bear him as a rider, after not having Jake fly with him in such a long time.

Without wasting further time, Jake reached his arm behind his back, and snatched up his queue, as the same time reaching out and guiding his other hand along one of Smaug's queues. Once he had a hold of both queues, he promptly joined them, almost forcing them together in his haste to leave the ground, and hopefully, his troubles behind.

Jake stumbled slightly at the wave of eagerness that Smaug sent over tsayhalu, gripping onto the creature's leathery wing to stabilize himself.

"Damn, boy…you want to get in the air even worse than I do."

The creature gave Jake a rough nudge in the ribs, snorting as he did.

Jake got the message and without looking back, he hopped onto Smaug's back and dug his heels into Smaug's sides.

Smaug took this as the signal to go, because as soon as Jake had put his weight on Smaug's back, the ikran began to run forward and flap its wings.

Jake made one last movement to situate himself on Smaug, and before he had realized it, they had left the ground and were quickly gaining altitude.

Now this was better, Jake thought.

Smaug gave a low throbbing growl to concur.

Jake laughed.

It never failed, flying subdued that part of his brain which would drag him down into a depressive mire of vicious thoughts and worries.

It wasn't that he totally forgot about the cares and troubles of the world, and he especially never wanted to stop worrying about Neytiri or his unborn child….but flying made it so that these fears, worries and problems didn't debilitate him.

He had never let his fears destabilize him in the past, he had never let his handicap…his useless , broken legs stop him from accomplishing things….hell, if he had let his paralyzed legs stop him from living his life, he wouldn't even be here right now…..on a different world, almost a light year away from Earth, among other things…..

Jake reminded himself though, that his worries and fears were different this time….this time is wasn't just him he had to worry about, he had Neytiri, his unborn child, and the fate of the entire Omaticaya to consider.

It wasn't just about him anymore.

It wasn't just him he had to fight for.

After several hours of flying, during which time he ruminated on the events to come, and what ways he would deal with them, Jake decided his mind had been cleared sufficiently, and also Smaug was looking slightly tired.

They landed back on the tarmac, right in front of the hangar entrance, coming to a halt in the shade of the building.

The sun had now slowly descended into mid afternoon, and the hangar threw a long shadow out across the black asphalt, so Jake stepped off of Smaug to the surprising and comfortable feeling of cool concrete under his feet.

After rewarding Smaug with a treat of yerik meat, and sending the ikran back to his roost, Jake turned and went back into the hangar, slowing as his eyes became adjusted to the dull light once more.

He went back over to where he had left off with his work in restringing his bow. He decided that he could restring his bow later, after all he needed to let the wood season a little while longer, before he put the strain of bending on it.

Now, he set about gathering all of his arrows together and setting them all out in a row, all twenty of them.

Right next to where his arrows lay, there sat a small barrel that had a hazardous warning label on the side. Jake, after putting on a surgical mask, and avatar driver safety glasses, pulled the lid off of the barrel.

Jake pulled a box over and using it as a seat, he sat down right in front of the barrel, and he took each arrow one by one and dipped their tips into the liquid within the barrel. He carefully lifted each arrow from the clear liquid within and let the excess fluid run down to the arrow tip and slowly drip off. He gently put each arrow down on a cloth he had lain down on the floor.

He had to let the liquid hemotoxin agent that lay on each the arrow tips dry before putting them back in his quiver.

He finally got to his last arrow, which was completely black and much longer than the rest. In fact, it almost resembled a small spear. Jake's new bow was significantly larger than his old one, being almost as tall as he was. Since coming out of the amnio tank, Jake had gotten much stronger, and was able to handle a bigger bow.

He had made this black arrow almost to the size of one of Odo'khal's huge arrows. He had specially crafted a barbed tip out a lightweight metal he had found in the machine shop. The vicious tip was now affixed firmly to the head of the shaft.

Jake reached behind him and picked up a small box he had set there, a small box that was completely black and covered in warning labels. Emblazoned across the lid was a single skull and crossbones.

Under his mask, Jake grinned in grim satisfaction as he lifted the lid off of the box and removed from within its padded interior….a single grenade.

It was made out of a hard plastic, but was completely translucent, and it could be seen that the interior of the grenade was filled with a violently green liquid.

That's what Jake was after…the Sarin nerve agent inside the grenade.

This type of weapon had been outlawed by the UN back on Earth more than a hundred years ago, but then again, the RDA had never been good at following those kinds of rules. Jake had stumbled upon this when he had been looking for a chemical burn first aid kit back in one of the military labs of the base.

It was designed to be thrown like a regular grenade and upon detonation, would send the Sarin liquid agent in all directions, causing extreme nerve damage, paralysis, and for the fortunate, death by asphyxiation.

The RDA had little beauties like these stored across the base. Jake figured military types like Quaritch had chemical weapons like these in case of a Na'vi rebellion that overran the base.

Jake laughed humorlessly as he realized that he was in Quaritch's debt now, for providing him with this little treasure.

Jake, after donning thick, rubber gloves, unscrewed the bottom of the grenade, and very gently poured its contents into a small bowl.

As it moved from container to container, the bright green liquid hissed and smoked slightly.

Jake leaned back, away from any fumes that might be emanating from the smoke.

He reached over, taking the black arrow and dipping its vicious looking tip into the liquid Sarin that sat in the bowl.

After making sure that all sides of the metal tip had soaked in the deadly green liquid, Jake held it up to inspect it. Small droplets of the liquid fell back into the bowl as he pulled it out, and after holding it up, he could see a dull sheen on the metal, showing that the Sarin was there.

He set the arrow down carefully making sure not to touch the metal of the tip at all.

He had special plans for that arrow.

He planned to lodge it between Tsu'tey's second and third cervical vertebrae whenever he got the chance.

That arrow he had made with Tsu'tey in mind, specifically thinking of how the deadly agent would seep into his bloodstream, and cause almost instantaneous neurological damage, causing some nerve functions to cease while others overloaded, sending the body into a vicious cycle of seizures and convulsions.

Jake took no pleasure in killing, but at this point, he thought to himself, merely taking Tsu'tey's life would not satisfy him.

He didn't consider it sadistic, but it was some form of vengeful bloodlust that, regardless of morality or justice, had to be slaked.

Jake carefully picked up the bowl containing the excess Sarin agent in it, and was about to get up when a voice came ringing into his ears and causing him to jump slightly.

"JAKE! You in here! Jake!." Norm's frantic yells reverberated around the empty hangar like thunder in Jake's ears.

Jake fumbled with the bowl in his hands, his eyes growing huge as the deadly liquid sloshed about threatening to spill.

He steadied himself and watched with baited breath as he could only wait for the liquid in the bowl to calm.

Jake heard Norm running up behind him and he shot out a hand in a stop gesture. He heard Norm's feet come to a skidding halt.

Jake, moving his hands so that both we placed on the rim of the bowl, lifted himself from his crouched position and turned to face Norm.

His anger at having Norm nearly cause him to pour Sarin nerve agent on himself dissipated when he saw Norm's face.

It was pale with worry and fear. Norm stood there, his chest heaving, his breath frantic, and his brow sweaty. One hand was raised over his head as he attempted to catch his breath, his other hand he held out to Jake, and firmly within his grasp, sat Jake's comm link.

The message light was blinking red.

Odo'khal had tried to contact him.

Norm saw what Jake had in his hands, and he understood Jake's need for caution, but he stood there gesturing frantically to the comm link.

"Jake, this can't wait….Odo…..tomorrow…." Norm tried to speak, but his breathing was much too labored for any coherent sentence to form. He must have been running all over the base trying to find Jake.

Jake acted quickly.

He strode across the hangar to the wall farthest from him. On that wall was a large square chamber, marked with signs labeling it:

"INCINDIERY DISPOSAL UNIT-OPERATE WITH CAUTION!"

Jake pressed several buttons on the side of the big metal box that made up the chamber. The incinerators within fired up, and through the glass in the disposal door, Jake could see flames shooting about in the chamber.

Quickly, Jake opened the door and gently tossed in the bowl with the Sarin. The incinerators, operating at about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, quickly consumed the plastic bowl and caused the liquid to boil within seconds, and before Jake had even closed the door, the Sarin had boiled into a harmless form, and was wisping away in superheated vapor within the chamber.

Jake slammed the door shut then quickly turned on his heel and ran back over to Norm.

Wordlessly, he snatched the comm link out of Norm's hands and fumbled with the buttons.

He finally gained control of his fingers, so much was his panic at seeing the look of fear in Norm's face, and after a second if hesitation, he pressed the 'play' button.

Jake's ears immediately pinned back against his skull as they were greeted by a barrage of static and white noise. Though the noise was painful, he kept the comm link next to his ear, and he endured the discomfort, lest he miss anything important in whatever message was playing.

After a few mores seconds of static, a rustling and crkacling noise could be here, as if the comm piece was being moved around.

Then there was a loud noise that boomed through, nearly overloading the speaker.

There was another muffled rustling sound, and then Odo'khal's voice came through clearly.

"Jake…..this is Odo…there is a problem (static)…right now I have excused myself from a clan meeting….the entire tribe was assembled for some sort of announcement. I have to warn you….I just hope you get this in time…Tsu'tey made the announcement…..I already told you that he eventually planned on using Omaticaya custom to make Neytiri his mate…..he is using the law that the Tsahik must be paired with the olo'eyktan. Jake…"

Odo'khal's voice became suddenly strained, and Jake's knuckles, though blue, began to turn white as he gripped the comm piece tightly. He didn't want to think about what words were about to come out of Odo'khal's mouth next.

"Jake…he wants the ceremony done tomorrow night."

Odo'khal paused in delivering his message, as if he knew what Jake's reaction would be when he heard this.

Jake's mouth went dry, and his heart plummeted.

He could hear in the back of his mind, the throbbing of pure vitriol…building up.

He quickly turned to Norm, gestured that Norm should follow him, and then took off running for the door leading back into the base from the hangar.

Norm was hardpressed to keep up, especially in his human body.

Jake held the comm link speaker to his ear as he ran, focusing all of his senses on hearing the rest of Odo'khal's message over the beating of his own heart, the labored huffing of his lungs, the perpetual buzzing of anger consuming his mind.

"Jake, you have to go ahead with the plan…..you know I will protect Neytiri with my life, but we never thought he was going to try and pull a move like this so soon…he has become brazen….like I said, you know I won't let anything happen to Neytiri while there is breath in my body, but I can't hold Tsu'tey off after tomorrow afternoon. I must advise that you get underway immediately. You will need all the time you can get. It is a long journey and you need time to set up positions in the forest."

Jake rounded a corner at lightning speed, not quite making it, and slamming into the metal wall of the next hallway, he merely bounced off and kept running, ignoring the pain, as he continued to focus on the message.

"Jake….hurry."

The message ended.

Jake put on an extra burst of speed, and before long he skidded to a halt in the main control room of Hell's Gate.

Max, Nguvo, Anat'so, and twenty or so high ranking warriors stood in the room, overlooking the holographic display of Hometree.

None of them seemed too surprised to see Jake's crazed entry.

They must already know, Jake surmised.

He quickly strode over to the computer terminals on the right of the room.

After quickly typing in a few commands, he had the holograph of the orbital satellite imager up and running.

He spent the next few minutes scanning the map. None of the others in the room seemed too curious as to what he was doing. They were all too lost in their own thoughts and worries.

Norm skidded into the room, stumbled and fell flat on his face.

Before anyone could help him up, he had frantically scrambled up and joined Jake at the satellite imaging terminal.

Jake suddenly pointed to a blip on the screen.

"There she is…." His fingers moved about, and then suddenly his finger pointed to another object, all the way on the other side of the screen from the first one. "And here he is…."

Norm followed Jake's fingers and nodded, he knew exactly what Jake was doing. He was checking to see where Neytiri and Tsu'tey were at this exact moment. It had been several days since Norm had delivered the necklace to Tsu'tey and the dog tags and pictures to Neytiri, and since then, they had been monitoring their movements closely using the infrared signatures of the dyes that the objects had been inundated with.

The holograph showed a various array of shades of black and white, dependent upon heat and air density, and a small smidgeon of red could be seen on the far left of the screen, which was focused down to the sector surrounding Hometree, and then a small dot of bright blue stood out on the far right of the screen, closer to the lake. Red represented Tsu'tey. Blue was Neytiri.

Jake watched the dots with intense focus, as if hoping to gain some perception of intentions and actions just from the simple pictographic representations displayed on the screen.

He stood up from crouching over the screen.

He turned to face the rest of the assembled people in the room.

They all seemed to sense his gaze, and they all suddenly looked to him.

Jake first brought his hard gaze to focus on Max.

"Max…." He barked. Max's head jerked up from where he had been studying readouts of some kind.

"Yeah, Jake?" Jake pointed his finger down at the screen for the satellite imaging holograph.

"I know what you're good at Max, and you're really good with computers and technology, so I want you to be my eyes and ears out there Max, I want you in the technological crow's nest….basically, I don't want you to move your scruffy face no more than a foot from that screen right there…Is that understood."

Max gave a mock salute, but his face was still serious. Jake nodded.

"Good."

Jake then turned to Nguvo.

"Nguvo, you will take your pa'li riders and set out tonight….take the bomb…..head due south….follow the river, it eventually runs into the lake at Hometree…wait for the singal"

The large male clan leader nodded his understanding and acquiescence to Jake's command and without further ado, he turned, motioning over his shoulder to ten huge, brawny warriors, and proceeded to leave to the room. The ten warriors followed.

Jake watched them go.

After they were gone, he turned to Anatso, fixing her with his determined and calculating stare.

"Anat'so, you take the ten warriors you have here with you right now, and Norm here" Jake motioned sideways at Norm, who stood next to him.

Norm looked up in surprise, but waited for Jake to finish.

"Take Norm and you fly ahead and set up a command post outside of Hometree. Norm will be your radio operator, and you will use him to relay messages back and forth."

Before Norm could say anything, Jake turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder, and gazing at him with an anxious light in his eyes.

"Norm, I need someone to make contact with Odo'khal and meet him at Hometree tomorrow morning. I need you to be that person. Relay whatever information he has back to me over the comm link. You, second to me, know the plan better than anyone…I need you to be my second set of eyes on this one, I need you to make sure people are in position in the forest. I'll be landing with my force in Hometree once we receive the signal."

Norm could only nod. There were no words that needed to be said. Jake spoke the truth. Norm knew the plan…..backwards and forwards. He had, after all, helped Jake form it.

Norm felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned to see that it was Anat'so. She bowed her head as she spoke.

"Normspellman, it will be an honor to have you fly with us…..but it is my understanding that you are not a hunter, so therefore you have not become ikran makto…"

Norm nodded.

"Yeah, I haven't…but I want to."

Anat'so gave a smile at his enthusiasm, and turned aside to reveal a female warrior who had been standing behind her.

The young huntress was tall and lithe, but powerfully in her lean build….and undoubtedly very pretty. She looked curiously down at Norm, who could only stare back up at her. Anat'so motioned to the female with her hands, speaking to Norm as she did so.

"Well since you have no ikran of your own, when you come into your dreamwalker body, you will ride with us tonight, and you will ride with Var'ya here….she bonded with quite a large ikran, and it will be big enough to bear you both."

Jake noticed that Norm had a dazed look in his eye as he stared back at Var'ya, and despite the uttermost gravity of the situation, Jake couldn't help but look at the ground at mutter under his breath slowly and playfully.

"Oh…boy"

He broke the moment by clearing his throat and then looking up at Norm.

"You might want to put your exopack on."

Without further explanation, Jake strode to the far side of the room, and pressed a large, red button on the wall.

Immediately alarm bells began to sound indicating a breach in the air lock, and that massive amounts of carbon dioxide were about to start leaking into the building.

The wall began to split down the middle. It was peeling away in two paneled sections to reveal the smaller subhangar that sat right next to the control room.

Jake strode out on to the catwalk that overlooked the hangar. His eyes passed over the seventy five ikran makto that had made camp on the hangar floor.

At the foreign sounds of the air lock alarms, the warriors had sprung to their feet, crying out in surprise, most of them already jumpy and irritated at having to spend the night on the cold, unnatural concrete.

Now that they saw Jake, standing on the catwalk, surveying them, most came to attention, and fell silent.

Jake took a few steps forward, and then he relayed the news of the new plans to all of them.

After he finished instructing the warriors, he paused, and Norm, who had walked out onto the catwalk with him after donning his exopack, was shocked at Jake's expression.

Under the usually calm and strong exterior, Norm could perceive a veritable furnace of vengeful rage smoldering within Jake's eyes.

The blazing fury seemed to wash across Jake's features in waves, and then the realization hit Norm suddenly.

This is not someone you fuck with.

Jake crossed his arms across his brawny chest and looked once more out at his warriors. His voice came out loud and commanding and carried a definite hint of menace to it.

"At dawn we ride..."

* * *

A/N: I dont know about you guys, but I am stoked about writing this story right now...without giving too much away (as if you care), the next few chapters really are the culmination of the entire story, the climax if you will. Plus, battle scenes! Can't go wrong with that right? On that note, though, it may take me quite a while to get out chapter 20 and 21, as I really want to make those as perfect as I can. For the first time, I may actually take the time to read the finished chapter after I write and actually do some editorial work. Usually, as soon as I finish the last sentence of a chapter, I'm so hyped up about getting a chapter completed, that you guys will be lucky just to get a spell check out of me. Most of the time, I post chapters right up onto the site as soon as I can. Like I said last time, I wing it! Anyway, for those of you, who havnt had your eyes melted out of your skull in boredom at this story, I appreciate the fact that you guys are reading. You guys' support and reviews really do mean a lot to me. So on that note, PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEW! Hope you enjoy. Take it easy.


	18. Guardians of Fate

A/N: Another chapter, another day...sigh, my work is never done. HOT DAMN! Dont want to sound arrogant, but I do believe I am on a roll. Too bad this isnt gambling! Anyway, got work insanely early tomorrow morning so I'm out of here...hope you guys enjoy! Heres Chapter 18!

**Guardian of Fate**

All of Hometree sat in the silence preceding the dawn, its occupants either still slumbering or tossing in fitful dreams.

The pale blue of the sky that filtered between the dark shapes of the trees indicated that the first rays of sunlight were not far from breaking the horizon.

An hour….maybe less.

The bioluminescence of the forest had dimmed, the trees and foliage sensing the coming warmth of the sun.

The forest was silent.

Only one stealthy shape was making its way through the underbrush, moving quickly away from Hometree in a sort of crouched run.

Silent as a cloud shadow, the figure stopped, turned, positioning itself against the trunk of a small tree, and made sure that they were not being followed.

Neytiri turned and took one look back at Hometree…her home. It was the last time she would ever see it.

She allowed herself a small moment in which she imagined what a future at this place could have been, one in which Jake was still alive, and Tsu'tey had stayed dead, as far as everyone was concerned.

She uttered a whispering prayer to Eywa asking that her mother forgive her, asking to help her mother understand.

There was no choice in the matter.

Neytiri's hands clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth.

She didn't want to leave.

But there was no choice…

There was no way she would let herself become Tsu'tey's mate. There was no way that she would betray Jake's memory in such a profound and vile manner.

Also, Neytiri feared for her children. She harbored no delusions that Tsu'tey would treat her children with any form of respect or fairness, that is if he didn't have them killed outright.

Neytiri shuddered involuntarily at the thought and was thankful that both of her eveng seemed to be slumbering still, blissfully unaware of their mother's desperate escape.

She had meant what she had said to her mother. She would rather die than become Tsu'tey's mate, but it wasn't just about her anymore. She had her children to look after.

She had been present for Tsu'tey's pronouncement yesterday. She had made her decision to flee as soon as his depraved eyes had landed on her.

She had wanted to fight and kill him right then and there.

Then as she took in his hateful features and his arrogant smirk, she felt her eveng stir within her. They could sense her unease and rage. They shrunk from the anger and hate that coursed through her.

Immediately her anger had dissipated, and she knew what she had to do, regardless of the customs of her beloved people. She had turned and flew up Hometree, and spent the rest of the day, shunning contact with anyone from the clan and preparing her supplies for her journey.

Neytiri turned and continued her flight. She crouched as low as her protruding belly would allow, ignoring the pain in her back, and she ran further into the still and silent forest.

Where she was going, she knew not. Anywhere far away from that monster was where she needed to be.

A fleeting hope of fleeing to Hell's Gate and seeking Norm's help crossed her mind.

She inwardly cringed at the idea of bringing Norm into her fight, but she was also sure, that as Jake's friend, he would be do anything that he could do help his dead friend's mate. Her hope diminished when she realized that Tsu'tey would not sit idly by while she ran from him.

He would search for her.

He would hound her across the forests and the plains, so bent was he upon having her.

There could be no rest at Hell's Gate with Tsu'tey searching in force. He would eventually think of looking there, if not sooner rather than later, and when he found out she was there, he would bring the whole weight of his Kyllteyka host down upon the base, and Norm, Max and the other tawtute who had remained behind, would undoubtedly be overrun and slaughtered.

Neytiri could not do that to them.

This was her burden to bear….no matter how desperately she wished for help that wouldn't come.

She suddenly stopped under another tree, sniffing at the air.

There was someone else here…..

Suddenly, a hand shot down and grabbed her shoulder in a vice like grip.

Neytiri, thought inwardly shocked and frightened beyond all wit, managed to react based solely on training, and her hands had whipped out her dagger blindingly fast.

She had pivoted on her heel and brought the blade down in a vicious stab.

Her blade met only the skin of the tree, digging deep into the wood.

Neytiri stared ahead at where the offending appendage had been seconds ago, when it had descended unbecomingly onto her shoulder.

She felt a tap upon her head, and her head shot up, her knife ready for a slash.

"I can see that you and Jake are well paired, you almost rival his speed with a blade….that is impressive, princess."

Neytiri was staring up into the huge form of Odo'khal perched precariously in the lower branches of the tree she stood under.

Her mouth dropped open slightly and whatever words she had planned to say to him never came out, so shocked was she at his sudden appearance.

Odo'khal slipped slightly, catching himself with his huge arms, but Neytiri could tell it was a struggle for him to hold on in such an awkward positioning.

She quickly moved aside, gaining some of her sense, thought still shocked into silence by Odo'khal's seeming appearance out of thin air.

Odo'khal leaped from the low branches of the tree and landed with a dull thud upon the forest floor. He shot up and his head turned in all directions, making sure that no one had heard his landing.

It was better if they weren't interrupted.

After dusting himself off lightly, Odo'khal stood his full height and looked down at Neytiri.

Her shocked expression had been replaced with a look of apprehension and nervousness.

Odo'khal seemed to read her thoughts through her expression because he quickly held up his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Please, Princess, do not run…..at least listen to what I have to say before running, even thought I don't blame you if you do not."

Neytiri stared back up into Odo'khal's giant golden orbs and she saw his sincerity and kindness pouring out of them.

She gave a sigh, throwing her arms down and re-sheathing her knife. She turned back up to him and fidgeted.

Odo'khal still looked convinced that she was going to run off at any second, so he quickly began to launch into his explanation, lest she be gone before he can tell her what he has to say.

"Princess….I know why you are running way, and I don't blame you, that is a sensible course of action…in fact it's the only decent course of action."

He paused, looked thoughtful, as if he was choosing his next words wisely, before continuing.

"However, I understand your position, but that is why I can't let you leave."

Neytiri's eyes became hard, and her expression turned furious. She suddenly dodged to the right trying to get around Odo'khal, but the giant Na'vi's hands were far too fast, and before she knew it, Neytiri felt herself being gently but firmly drug back into place.

She struggled fruitlessly against the iron grip that clutched her upper arm.

"Odo….please let me go, you don't understand, can you not see what fat will befall me if I stay?"

She struggled some more and looked suddenly up into Odo'khal's eyes, and he stared right back.

"Odo, if you were a friend of Jake's….you would let me go."

At her words, a pained and hurt expression darkened Odo'khal's normally gentle face. Neytiri regretted immediately implicating that Odo'khal had not been a true friend of Jake's, but her situation did not leave room for error or courtesy.

Odo'khal, gently released her upper arm, but his other hand held her shoulder under its hefty weight. He placed the other hand over his heart.

"Princess, I am a friend of Jake's….and that is precisely why I cannot allow you to leave. I have been watching you, and I figured flight was your most likely course of action"

Neytiri's irritation and anger only grew at his cryptic words. She threw the hand off of her shoulder and glared up at the giant. She saw that there was no way she was going to get away easily.

She finally settled with trying to distract Odo'khal while she analyzed her potential escape routes.

"So…I still don't understand why I cant leave, but was it necessary to follow and watch me"

Odo'khal's eyes followed her flickering ones, and she could tell that as he answered, he was preparing for her to make a sudden movement.

"I was doing a favor for an old friend."

Once again, Odo'khal's cryptic words made Neytiri's anger flare up. She threw he arms out in front of herself in a pleading gesture, trying to emphasize the importance of her words, trying to make Odo'khal understand the gravity of her situation.

"Odo, you must let me go…please! Can't you see that I will be betraying Jake if I stay here. I cannot fight Tsu'tey because….." Her hands drifted down to her stomach.

Odo'khal's face became grave, and his left eye twitched slightly, as if indicating an undercurrent of uncertainty that was rippling inside of him, questioning whether he was doing the right thing.

Neytiri noticed this and felt hope spring up within her.

Odo'khal's eyes became gentle and all uneasiness seemed to melt away from his countenance to be replaced by a look of firm determination.

"Princess, I must ask that you stay, I know it sounds exactly opposite to what you want, but I insist that if you stay, your….situation will get better. By staying here, you will help your situation. Trust me….."

He broke off suddenly, and his expression became thoughtful again. A light came into his eyes and he looked back at Neytiri.

"Trust me, as Jake does…..I know it sounds extremely unwise, but you must understand that if you stay, two things will happen tonight that have needed to happen for a long time now."

This time it was Neytiri's turn to become thoughtful. Her anger dimmed and her eyes became tight with confusion and concentrated thought. What in the name of Eywa was Odo'khal referring to? She looked up at him quizzically.

"What exactly are you referring to, Odo…?"

Odo'khal's face broke into a small smile, and Neytiri could sense the intelligence…..and the ferocity that lay behind it.

Odo'khal's hand once again reached out and gripped her shoulder.

"Firstly, you will find out why you needed to stay at Hometree…and secondly, you will witness tonight Tsu'tey bear regret for his actions against the Omaticaya…he will regret them deeply."

Neytiri's eyes became alight with grim curiosity. She could not help but wonder at what fate awaited Tsu'tey, one that which, seemingly reversed her fortunes.

Odo'khal tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly in response to her questioning stare. His answer to her unspoken question seemed to assuage some of her doubts, though he could still see the fear ever present in her eyes.

"I swear it in the name of Toruk Makto…"

* * *

A/N: It's short, I know, but I felt this was an important scene to display, just another piece of the puzzle falling into place. Anyway, like I said before, I got to get up WAY too early for me to be writing some extensive authors note. So on that note (haha), lets cover the basics. 1) I'm really glad you guys are still reading. 2)I hope a really short chapter doesn't piss anyone off too bad, but im on a roll, I got to publish em when I can. 3) I really hope you guys can still enjoy a short chapter after the longer ones ive been writing. 4) Please enjoy! 5) the next chapter should be up soon. 6) PLEASE REVIEW! 7) As always, take it easy.


	19. Lady in Black

A/N: Okay, so Chapter 19! Now for those of you who actually read the beginning authors note, here is a warning. You are either going to like this chapter, or fucking hate it. I think a lot of people are going to think that I have gone off the map with this chapter, and with so many new plot elements being introduced so suddenly, and at such an important time in the story. Hope I dont piss too many people off, but ultimately I do like this chapter, and I do feel that it is necessary to really bring together the battle scene. Anyway, it also adds another layer of depth to the back story, and the some of the more obscure plot factors that drive the whole story? It explains a few things. I actually came up with this entire chapter the other night when thinking about random shit and then suddenly realizing that I had written myself into a corner in the upcoming battle. I see this as a remedy to that mistake. Hope you all enjoy. Read! Review! PLEASE!

**Lady in Black**

Tsu'tey watched the frantic exchange between Neytiri and Odo'khal.

He did not need to hear what they were saying to gain some understanding of what was happening, what was being said between them. He was not stupid. He had known that the Princess would most likely try to escape.

He had a whole force of his Kyllteyka ready for the purpose of going after her.

He had followed her out of Hometree this morning. She was stealthy and hard to keep in sight. At one point he had been genuinely concerned that she had escaped, but she had stopped at a tree to look around, and he had caught sight of her again.

That's when Odo'khal had stopped her.

A lifetime ago, when Tsu'tey had considered himself an Omaticaya, he might not have been able to track her had she escaped into the deeper forest. But now…

He had learned much in his travels.

He had seen much.

Suddenly, Neytiri tried to escape by running to the side of Odo'khal. Tsu'tey laughed mockingly as he saw the giant Na'vi grab her by the arm. Tsu'tey was slightly confused by this, if anything, he would have thought that the big fool would be trying to help her escape, but he seemed to be trying to stop her from doing exactly that. Tsu'tey shook his head, it didn't matter to him why Odo'khal was trying to prevent Neytiri from escaping, their meeting, here in the forest, this early, only served to further confirm his suspicions.

They were planning something.

He had noticed the frequency with which Odo'khal had stood up for Neytiri, the way they met in secret, and their constant conversations, conveniently positioned away from everyone else….especially him. He had not been blind when the other scientist dreamwalker and Odo'khal had quickly fled from his sight during the dreamwalker's visit. Tsu'tey had seen how Odo'khal had positioned himself to block his view. He was also aware of the hatred and animosity borne towards him by the Omaticaya tribe at large. He knew that whatever the two friends of the dead dreamwalker were planning, it involved rousing the rest of the Omaticaya taronyu and tsamsiyu against him. He knew that those warriors would jump at a chance to fight him.

He had known that from the beginning….he had anticipated it.

As he watched Odo'khal gently and silently lead Neytiri back to Hometree, Tsu'tey inwardly smirked at the thought of how he was going to make an example of that giant.

He was going to make him suffer.

He had been careful around Odo'khal the whole time that he had been back with Omaticaya. He had known that Odo'khal had seen right through his ruse from the beginning, never trusting him. Tsu'tey didn't care. He just knew that he couldn't openly fight the big taronyu, as he would lose the fight due to the warrior's massive size and power, and also, he was beloved by the clan. Killing him would be a perfect way to stir unwanted resistance and trouble. Tsu'tey had learned the value of patience, and accordingly, he had bided his time….

But not for much longer.

Now that the final stages of his plan were nearing fruition, he would make his final moves to fully ensnare the Omaticaya, the people that had turned their backs on him, and he would make them bow down before him.

There would be some that he would kill, oh yes…..the sick, the infirm, the treacherous and the rebellious. The rest would do fine being enslaved, serving him and his armies. Tsu'tey felt waves of grim pleasure course through his body as he imagined his domain, his rule to come.

Soon….

He presently stood from his hiding place and began to make his way towards the lake, seeing that there was nothing left to be observed of the secret meeting.

Silently, and unlooked for, he crossed the grassy slope that led down to the gentle, tranquil waters that looked like a cold, gray pallor in the low light that precedes dawn. As he walked, he took in the sight of the Kyllteyka camp that lay sprawled upon the shore.

When he had first made his return to the Omaticaya, he had ordered all of the Kyllteyka to camp here upon the edge of the lake, and still most did, but slowly, over the past few months, they had begun to infiltrate the perimeter of Hometree, setting up camps and positions at will.

They were scattered, but it mattered not.

Tsu'tey reached the ragged and sordid tents of the Kyllteyka taronyu, and as he strode amongst them, he saw many Kyllteyka come to attention at his presence. He had not been down to inspect the main camp in some time, it was good to see them still somewhat disciplined.

It was good.

They still feared him…

They feared what he was capable of…..

He had told them that his nemesis was Toruk Makto, and many had cringed and cowered at the thought of trying to capture and kill such a warrior, but he had convinced them….

Tsu'tey laughed humorlessly to himself, that wasn't entirely true, he thought. In truth, he had been given some help in convincing the Kyllteyka to bow down to him.

She had helped him…

Tsu'tey came to the end of the camp, and as he did so, he came to the edge of a small cliff that over looked the lake. The cliff face ran down from the edge where Tsu'tey now stood, and ran sloping steeply down into the deep waters below. He slowly turned on the spot, so that his back was to the lake, and carefully lowered himself over the edge of the cliff, using his strong legs and feet to find holds in the cliff face. Slowly, but surely, Tsu'tey descended the cliff face until he had found what he was looking for about halfway down the distance between the rim of the cliff and the surface of the water below.

It was an opening, an entrance to a small cave that seemed gashed into the rock.

Tsu'tey nimbly lowered his feet onto the edge of the opening, and using his downward momentum, he swung himself into the opening, landing neatly and softly on the floor of the small tunnel that disappeared back into the rock. After having to make that climb several times over the past few months, he had become quite adept at scrambling up and down the cliff face and scurrying around in this tunnel.

Without wasting further time, Tsu'tey stooped and began to make his way down the tunnel.

He no longer needed a light; he knew the tunnel well enough by now to be able to indentify twist and turns, drops and rises, and wrong turns. The tunnel he traveled now was but one central passage in a veritable warren of deeper mines and shafts that ran farther and farther into the rocks. Tsu'tey plodded along through the darkness, seemingly calm, though inwardly, he was extremely focused, as he was keeping track of his steps and how far he had gone. Though he could not see in the inky blackness of the tunnel, he could feel a big bend coming up, and as his feet followed the groove of the tunnel floor, he made the turn, and to his relief, he saw a small, pale glow at the end of the passage.

He knew the tunnel well by now, but any wrong steps down here could mean being lost for ages amongst the labyrinth of half passages and twisting dead ends, so he was pleased that his instincts and intuition had guided him well.

Slowly, he approached the opening in the end of the tunnel that led to the source of the light. The light became brighter as he came closer, and as he finally stepped out into a larger chamber, he could see clearly his surroundings.

The first time he had come to this place, he had been rendered speechless by the lights that now adorned the wall.

He had left the forest in the dead of night, after spending the whole day spying on his former clan members in their new Hometree. He had returned back his small camp, and awaited the return of his three Kyllteyka scouts, to see what information they brought him on the movements of the tribe in the deep forest.

Suddenly, he had felt something in his mind, a presence…a bond. It beckoned him forth, and he had left the camp and the force had guided him, through the forest, down to the lake, to the opening in the cliff wall, through the tunnels, and eventually to the very same cave in which he now stood.

He had known it was her…..he had commanded her to follow him, and she had sought out this place, these ancient and uncharted caves as her new home, where water and seclusion were plenty.

He had come to the large chamber, the in which he now stood, and had been amazed by the sight. He had found himself in a deep, cavernous chamber, one in which was filled with a radiant light. It had taken time for his eyes to adjust to the light after his journey through the darkness that permeated the tunnels. When they had finally focused, he had found himself staring in wonderment at a huge chamber that formed a giant roof over an underground lake.

Huge, thick columns shot down from the ceiling into the water, bending at weird angles as they made their way down, silently breaking the surface and disappearing from sight as they went down into the dark, fathomless depths of the lake.

Tsu'tey had stepped out onto the smooth rock that led down to the water's edge a short distance away.

He had noticed then, that the light emanated from the columns, and that the columns themselves brought forth the light, and the light ran the length of the columns and formed clusters of radiance around the areas where the columns attached to the ceiling.

Then as he had gotten closer to the water's edge, it had hit him.

They were not columns.

They were tree roots.

He was under Hometree.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the light was actually the glow being produced by myriads of phosphorescent life forms and creatures that clung to the roots and the ceiling of the cavern.

The roots of Hometree sustained these tiny creatures, and Tsu'tey, the part of Tsu'tey that was deep within him, and untainted by his malice and malevolence, inwardly marveled at the abundance of life, even in such a dark and seemingly remote place as this.

For a few moments, the true Tsu'tey, the one who had flown and fought in the last battle, came through, and a sense of calm had flooded Tsu'tey's body.

However, it had been shortlived.

Suddenly, Tsu'tey had felt the resurgence of the presence in his mind.

.Her presence…..

He had looked down into the lake, just as he was doing now, and he had seen two red lights penetrating the dark water.

It was her.

Her two fiery red eyes stared back at him, and he could see them clearly, he knew she had been waiting for him.

He stared right back into the two blood tinged orbs of malice, and they saw him, they penetrated his mind, mastering his thoughts and solidifying his resolve and cruelty.

Presently Tsu'tey felt the presence return one again to his mind, calling him, beckoning him forth.

He silently replied; letting her know that he was here, ready to see her.

He walked to the very edge of the water.

He watched in anticipation as a black, slick, serpentine mass broke the surface, rising silently from the water.

It reached forward, its bulk undulating and twisting as it balanced out of the water.

The mass uncoiled itself slightly, and a small flap of skin peeled back to reveal a nest of rippling tendrils, a bundled mass of nerve fibers, waving in the air.

Tsu'tey reached behind his own head and brought forth his own queue, and in the pale light, he saw his neural tendrils dancing excitedly at the sensations that were to come.

He reached out, and grasped the black, slimy, queue, which was as thick as his arm, and without any hesitation, he joined it with his own queue, forming tsayhalu.

Immediately a wave of anger and hatred washed over him.

Tsu'tey smiled inwardly.

Yes, she hated him, but she needed him as well…..

Their relationship was at best, malevolently symbiotic.

He felt her hatred, and it was strong….strong enough almost to send Tsu'tey's mind reeling in fear and despair.

He felt her wisdom also, a knowledge gained over the long years of her life, nourished by spite and fueled by cunning.

She was part of an older world….a much more violent world.

She was a remnant of a time, when the world had been young, that had been governed by strength and regulated by brutality.

Her kind had ruled in the forests of the Far South. She had born into the crumbling decline of her race, and she had witnessed, over time, as her kind had died out, and the few remaining were driven from the lands by a new race of small, pathetic, two legged creatures from the West.

The Na'vi.

They had used fire and spear to drive her and her kind from their hunting lands, and from that point on, she vowed to seek revenge against them.

Thus was born her agelong hatred of the Na'vi, and especially any descendants of the tribe that had driven her and her kin from their last haven.

She had dwelt long in the arid lands that lay North of her birthplace, and in the towering spires of rock that lay as sentinels over the desolation, she had resided, nourishing her malice, and surviving on those creatures unfortunate enough to encounter her.

Under dark moons, she had traveled wide and far across the wastelands, seeking out her purpose and trying to explore her barren domain.

She had found the grubby tribe of Na'vi that dwelt in the crags and fissures of the desolate lands.

They were some older, more primitive race, different than the ones who she had sworn vengeance against long ago.

Still they had served their purpose as nourishment for her.

That's how Tsu'tey had found out about her.

After wandering for several months, and finally making his way into the wastelands, he had stumbled into the Kyllteyka camp.

At first they had captured him and taken him prisoner.

The Kyllteyka were unused to coming in contact with other Na'vi, and they were scared of Tsu'tey and fearful of another Na'vi that was so much taller and bulkier than they were.

Tsu'tey had escaped, killed the olo'eyktan and his guards, freedom having been his only goal.

Soon, however, he realized that the only rule of law and order in Kyllteyka society was that of strength, and thusly, the olo'eyktan was chosen only on the basis of strength and fighting ability.

Tsu'tey suddenly found himself the strongest and most warlike in a clan bereft of an olo'eyktan.

None of the Kyllteyka saw anything strange in his assassination of the previous leader, and Tsu'tey seized his chance.

He set himself up as new olo'eyktan.

In learning the ways and customs of the Kyllteyka, he had learned of their lands, and the bounds of what they considered to be their territory.

G'harku, the warrior whom Odo'khal had slain, had kept on referring to an area in the wastelands, a high protrusion of rock, that the Kyllteyka refused to go, that it was a place of death.

They called it 'Sharkush na' Dhun', or when translated into Omaticaya, it meant 'Mountain of Terror'.

G'harku and several clan elders had told him legends of an evil and powerful demon that lived there. They referred to her as the 'Black Queen', or in their tongue, 'Mushirruh'.

One such legend concerned the mightiest warrior in all the history of the Kyllteyka.

According to the legend, the warrior, a large brute named Haar'kai, had been betrayed by his warriors, and in seeking the ultimate revenge, traveled to Sharkush na' Dhun and found the Mushirruh in her lair.

The warrior Haar'kai then told Mushirruh his story, and he pleaded with her to help him grant revenge on his foes.

She had entertained his ideas, for she was starving in her lair, and formed tsayhalu with him, poisoning his mind with profound malice and evil, warping his mind, learning whatever she could from the warrior who had stumbled into her lair.

She had agreed to help him slay his enemies in exchange for feasting on the flesh of his firstborn son.

The damage was done; Haar'kai's mind was ruined by forming tsayhalu with such a powerful and malicious entity. He agreed.

Together, with Haar'kai riding on her back, they had descended from Sharkush na' Dhun and murdered and pillaged across Kyllteykan lands, with Mushirruh fulfilling both her hatred for the Na'vi and her terrible hunger.

In the end, after slaying his enemies, Haar'kai had tried to kill Mushirruh and she had devoured him and his family.

She had returned to Sharkush na' Dhun, and from the point on, the survivors of the slaughter, remembered her wrath and spoke her name in terror.

Tsu'tey, already fervent in his desire for revenge against Jakesully and the Omaticaya, had become obsessive with the idea of following in Haar'kai's footsteps, and learning from his mistakes, and bending Mishirruh to his will and using her as the ultimate weapon in his revenge against the dreamwalker and his allies.

Tsu'tey made a plan, he devised a way to gain the upper hand over Mushirruh in tsayhalu, and that is how he figured out the effects of the rare flower that grew in the desert, known as the Yayungi, and the properties, medicinal and otherwise, that it possessed.

Finally, Tsu'tey made the journey to Sharkush na' Dhun and he placed a yerik carcass outside of the lair of the Black Queen. When Mushirruh had come forth, he offered it up as a sacrifice to her greatness.

Tsu'tey had soaked the carcass in fermented Yayungi plant.

Mushirruh, though clever and cunning beyond measure, had devoured the meal, for in her hunger, some of her wicked craft had deserted her.

It had taken several minutes for the effect to take place, but soon the the Yayungi plant took its toll on her, and she had collapsed sideways, pushing up the ground and sand with her heaving bulk.

Tsu'tey seized his opportunity.

He had formed tsayhalu with her while she was in her drug induced coma.

He felt her mind through the bond, and even with the effects of the plant still firmly sedating her, Tsu'tey found it a grave mental battle to subdue her mind to his will. There had been times when he thought that he was not powerful enough to face her, and he harbored no delusions that if she was fully conscious, she would obliterate his mind.

He had stayed in tsayhalu with her, and he told her that she obeyed him now.

When the giant beast awoke, Tsu'tey told her of his story, and of his plans for revenge.

She had no choice, as she had not freed her mind from Tsu'tey's control, for he had convinced her, in her medicated delusions that he was more powerful than her, and she seemingly believed it.

He told her of how he would use her, when the time was right, to implement his bloody revenge on the Omaticaya.

When she heard that he was Omaticaya, it had sparked a memory for her, more scent, sound and feeling than knowledge, and she had realized that he was familiar for some reason. She had divined that reason to be because the tribe he hailed from were direct descendants of the clans that had driven from her home long ago.

She had almost broken Tsu'tey's control in her rage.

Tsu'tey then realized her knowledge and intent and assured her that if she stuck to his plan and served him, then she would have the vengeance that she had sought for so long.

She had agreed.

Tsu'tey, like Haar'kai of old, had descended into the settlements of the Kyllteyka, riding on the back of Mushirruh. The Kyllteyka, recognizing their olo'eyktan, bowed down before him in terror and fear.

Tsu'tey gathered all the tribe's warriors to him and he had marched off North, to seek out war and his vengeance.

Mishirruh followed.

Tsu'tey knew that she was not to be trusted, but as long as she served his interests until his enemies were dead and his oath of vengeance fulfilled, he would not dismay, he needed her, and after all, the rewards he offered were greater than she could provide for herself.

They had a untrustworthy partnership based in violence and operating under mutual enmity for their sworn enemies.

Now, Tsu'tey doubted that he had control anymore over her, and he was not blind to the control and influence she now exerted over him.

Presently, she sent waves of assurance through tsayhalu to wickedly remind Tsu'tey that he in fact, held no influence over her, and that he now served her.

This caused Tsu'tey to squirm as he stood there on the rock ledge.

She reminded him that it was only the fact that his interests occupied the same territory as her own, and therefore, their partnership would continue, until she no longer needed him.

Tsu'tey looked down into the water, and just like before, he saw two massive red eyes staring back at him from the cold depths.

He shuddered at her unseen power.

She continued to question him further, seeking out information on the potential threats to his plans.

He could not bar her probing mind from seeing the scenes of Odo'khal and Neytiri meeting in the forest. The scenes from his observation played over and over again.

He felt her presence as she scrutinized them.

He felt a wave of depraved joy wash over him, and he knew that she was happy at what she saw, and he knew the reason why.

Neytiri's stomach was really beginning to bulge as she got father along into her pregnancy.

Tsu'tey had planned on raising Jakesully's son to be his brutal and vicious successor. He had planned on gaining revenge on the dreamwalker, even in death, by turning his own child against him, and making him cruel and ruthless, the perfect warrior.

However, once Mushirruh had found out that his intended mate was going to give birth to the child of his sworn enemy, her incalculably depraved mind had gleaned some malevolent pleasure from the idea of consuming the child.

Tsu'tey didn't care at all for the child's fate, but he inwardly recoiled, despite his own cruel nature, at the abhorrent satisfaction that the Black Queen seemed to gain from such an act. He felt that she thought that devouring the child of the clan's most powerful warrior was a vicious and devastating blow against the clan.

He had seen and become aware to some extent, of her purpose and malice in being in tsayhalu with her, and he realized that such an act was only one facet of her revenge against the descendants of her ancient enemies.

She was pleased with the scenes of Neytiri and Odo'khal, playing inside of Tsu'tey's head, for she gained a glimpse at the kind of pain she would inflict upon her enemies, when the firstborn of this Toruk Makto was scarified to her.

She reminded Tsu;tey once more, that once the baby was born, that it would be brought down to the lake and offered up to her. She commanded him to use the entire weight of his army to force the Omaticaya watch as she feasted on the flesh on the innocent.

Tsu'tey cringed once more.

He had no love, not anymore, for anyone in the Omaticaya, and he couldn't care if they died agonizing deaths, but some part of the old Tsu'tey was still enough alive, that it recoiled in horror and abhorrence at her profound and powerful malevolence.

Somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, in the small bastion that he had defended against her mental onslaught, Tsu'tey realized how much he hated her, and how much of a mistake it had been to seek out her help, that not only were his own plans and freedom jeopardized but that he had stirred up an entity so powerful that it would have certainly been better, having been left forgotten.

Suddenly, she retracted her queue, and Tsu'tey gasped as tsayhalu was severed, and it felt to him as though a huge weight had risen from his shoulders, and a powerful shadow had fled his mind.

He watched in silent contempt as the black tentacle-like queue slipped slowly and noiselessly beneath the still waters of the lake.

He took it as the sign that he was free to leave.

Inwardly, he berated himself.

He was even thinking like he was under her control.

He angrily strode back down the tunnel, clumsily stumbling on the uneven surface, as he bent all of his thought as to how he was going to kill her when he needed her no longer.

As he made his way back through the tunnels, he could see a faint light bouncing off the walls, one that seemed to grow brighter as he rounded each bend.

It must be daylight already.

Tsu'tey's mind reeled; he never could tell how long tsayhalu lasted with her, so powerful and thorough was her mastery of your mind.

He rounded the final bend, and saw that daylight poured in from the opening in the cliff wall.

Hesitantly, he poked his head out from under the opening.

He saw that the sun had risen above the horizon and was somewhere in the mid-morning time frame. He inwardly fumed at the fact that she could exert so much control over him, that several hours could go by without him noticing it.

As he latched onto the cliff face and began to pull himself up, Tsu'tey entertained and nourished his anger with thoughts of how he had taken his vengeance against that ketuwong Jakesully, and how soon the Omaticaya would pay for their treachery.

He then entertained an idea that involved feeding Odo'khal to Mushirrah. He was a big warrior, he would make a good meal for her. He then inwardly smirked at his own cruelty.

Maybe she did have some use…she could serve as his executioner, and it would suit her just fine, he was sure of that.

He finally pulled himself over the edge of the cliff and after standing up, found himself accosted by four scouts.

He had been waiting for their return.

And judging by the looks on their faces, they had news for him.

Tsu'tey stood, lording over them, piercing them with his stare, and he suddenly pointed to the scout closest to him.

"Sar'ghar, what report do you bring out of the South?"

The scout named Sar'ghar gave a small salute, which consisted of putting his clenched fists across his chest and bowing. He then gave his report in his own tongue, which Tsu'tey knew well.

"Great olo'eyktan, I have good tidings….our brethren have gathered more of our scattered peoples from across the desert, most of them from the foothills of the Western Mountains, and now they have formed a host, five hundred spears strong, and are now marching North with all speed. We made contact with them this morning…"

Tsu'tey's face broke into a wicked grin, he gestured with his hand that Sar'ghar should continue.

The scout nodded, his own face breaking into a smirk.

"…..They will be here when the sun sets this day."

* * *

A/N: The reactions to this chapter will be interesting to say the least. I hope you guys like it. If not, tell me about it. I would still maintain that it is necessary and ultimately, beneficial to the story, because of the backstory it provides and the unique insight into Tsu'tey's perspective. This chapter is also unique because it is the first chapter that was not developed in my master plot outline. I came up with this entire thing on the fly two days ago, randomly, and have been developing it ever since...and thus was born the chapter, that Im afraid ,many of you are going to consider completely random and not fitting in at all with the rest of the story. Oh well, maybe those of you who dont like it, despite your criticisms and dislikes being accurately based and justified (this chapter is random as shit), will view this chapter more favorably once the battle happens. The battle chapter, will help this chapter to make more sense. So, yeah...One more chapter before the shit hits the fan, per se, so in other words, BATTLE! Anyway. Hope you all enjoy, and please please please Review! REVIEW! Take it easy.


	20. Deathbringer From the Sky

A/N: Chapter 20! Now as I said in the last chapter, this is the last chapter before everything gets going with all the battle and war. So, a short chapter, I know. Hope you all like it! Read. Review. Review some more.

**Deathbringer From the Sky**

"No world, no matter how pristine in its natural beauty it is, nor how peaceful its inhabitants seem, is a perfect world"

Norm's philosophical words, delivered in a fine impression of mock gravity, cause Jake to break out into a genuine smile.

It was good to have a few laughs before the shit hit the fan, he thought to himself.

He pressed down on his comm line button to respond, smiling as he did so.

"You forgot to mention the insanely hot vixen huntresses…..that factor alone almost makes up for the fact that almost everything on this green hunk of space dust wants to kill us"

Norm laughed on the other end, causing the mike to overload and garbled static to come through.

Once the static and Norm's laughter had dissipated, Jake began to question him on the readings he was getting from Max on the satellite imaging. Norm informed him that Max had been temporarily unavailable; something was interfering with communication between his link and Hell's Gate.

Norm figured it was the flux vortex of the planet. He noted that he was working with a refurbished comm link that couldn't be totally relied upon.

Great, Jake thought, just what I need…equipment failures.

He was torn from his thoughts by his name being called, or his title, he should say.

"Toruk Makto!"

Jake turned, pivoting on the toruk, to see who it was that was calling him.

A lone huntress descended out of the skies and drew up level with the toruk, both of them flying parallel, a short distance apart.

It was a huntress of the Eastern Sea clan, and Jake knew her to be called Ska'ra.

She made a gesture of acknowledgement quickly, which Jake returned, and then she pointed away southwards.

"I have come to tell you that we have been scouting from a very great altitude, and we have just spotted the very top of your Kelutrel on the far horizon…..it looks to be a three hour ikran flight. "

Jake glanced up at the sun.

It stood at one hour after noon.

Jake looked back down at Ska'ra and gave her a small salute.

"Well seen, Ska'ra…..fly back up and tell the other scouts to come down so that they are flying with the rest of us"

Ska'ra nodded, and before any other words could be said, she gave a small tug on the harness of her ikran, and suddenly she was veering up into the sky, rising swiftly.

Jake followed her progress before looking back over his shoulder to check the formation behind him.

Seventy ikran makto flew in formation, spread out in a large v-shaped wedge, all of them armed to the teeth, and sporting war paint of different varieties.

All of them were members of the Eastern Sea clan and they were adorned in their usual Red stripes that they painted onto themselves, but most of them had applied some personal touch. Depending upon the rank within the clan, certain stripes could be used and some could not.

Regardless, they looked fearsome, and Jake had no doubts that a couple of strafing runs from these guys would send any Kyllteyka in the open, scurrying for their holes.

Jake turned back around, and craning his neck, and squinting with his eyes, he tried to see if he could spot Hometree like Ska'ra had. It was no use. She and her scouts must have been flying insanely high to spot it already.

Suddenly, Jake's comm link crackled and buzzed to life once more, Norm's voice coming through in garbled tones.

"Jake, you there? Jake?"

Jake pressed the button on the comm link strapped around his throat and sighed before responding.

"Yeah Norm, I'm here…what's up?"

Norm cleared his throat on the other end before answering, and Jake could hear a bunch of commotion in the background on Norm's end.

"Jake, we can't seem to get a hold of Max, and I just spotted Odo'khal…he was out skirting the edge of Hometree, I tried to contact him, I think his comm link is turned off. But that's when I spotted several of Tsu'tey's goons following him…..I think he knows they are after him, and I also think he knows that he can't risk answering the comm link right now with them so close by."

Suddenly there was a beeping, as another communication came through. Norm shut up and both he and Jake were anxious to see who was reporting in. There was another barrage of static and crackled hissing, but then soon, Odo'khal's voice came ringing out over the link.

"Jake? Are you there?"

Jake pressed the button to respond.

"Yeah Odo, I read you, what's your position and what's your status…..Norm said something about you being followed by four rogues."

There was a sound of grimly jovial laughter on the other end, and Jake felt a small chill run down his spine at the sound. However, his chill turned to equally grim delight at Odo'khal's next words.

"I was being followed…..but, they shouldn't be much of a problem anymore."

Jake distinctly heard a loud moan of pain come through from the background on Odo'khal's end, which was quickly followed by a rustling sound, a swish of air, a crack as something heavy made contact with something solid (most likely breaking it), and then all was silent again.

Odo'khal's voice came back through, and his breathing seemed slightly heavier than when he had first spoken.

"Sorry about that, Jake. One of them was still alive and he was trying to get up…"

Silence…

Jake finally spoke up, trying to dispel the suddenly grim note that the conversation had taken.

"Odo…..we haven't been able to get a hold of Max, so we don't have an accurate estimate as to where Tsu'tey and Neytiri are, I need you to be keeping a close personal watch on both of them…..if you can, if not, then follow Neytiri and try in any way possible to stall Tsu'tey."

There was a rustle on the other end as Odo'khal began to move.

"Jake, I left Neytiri in the care of Moat, and right now, she is still there, in Hometree. She should be safe for the time being, but I must say that I am at a loss for where Tsu'tey has gone…I haven't seen him all morning. Right now, I'm trying to track him, and therefore I can tell you where he is."

Jake paused before answering, his mind slightly torn over whether to let Odo'khal track down Tsu'tey or go back to Neytiri. Finally he realized that Neytiri was probably safest inside Hometree, but he still didn't like the idea at all of leaving her there without Odo'khal's vigilant protection.

"Odo, do what you can as far as finding Tsu'tey, if you can't find him within the next hour, then fall back to Hometree and watch from there, while you are guarding Moat's alcove."

"It will be done, Jake". Odo'khal gave one last farewell and then his end of the comm line went dead, as he had turned off the link.

Jake then reached back up to his throat and pressed down on the button.

"Norm, you still there?"

There was another rustle of movement on the other end, as Norm's end of the line came back into usage.

"Yeah, Jake, I read you, what's next?" Jake paused, his mind racing with all of the precautions and factors he needed to anticipate in order for his plans to work. He finally realized he needed to find out how active the Kyllteyka were today and what their movements had been.

"Well, have you seen any activity besides Odo, in and around Hometree?"

Norm coughed slightly, and Jake could hear the nervousness in Norm's voice when he spoke.

"No, Jake….that's the thing, we havnt seen anybody else out and about. I mean, granted, our camp is a fair bit outside of Hometree, and we are extremely well hidden, but I would at least think we would have spotted hunters going in or out. I hate to say it Jake, but I think everybody is consolidated right in around Hometree, and that with the ceremony intending to go off tonight….the Kyllteyka are planning on celebrating, while the Omaticaya are planning on mounring."

Jake's jaw tightened at Norm's words, for he knew them to be true. His mind still reeled with the seemingly endless factors of planning this upcoming conflict. He almost wanted to scream out in rage.

He felt the vitriol building up within him once again. He slowly and carefully subdued it…for the time being. It would all come out tonight. It would all come to a head.

Tonight…..

Jake pressed the button on his comm link, practically snarling as he did so.

'Well that's good then, now isn't it…..with everybody hanging out around Hometree, there will be no scouts out and about, and therefore when come to crash the party…they won't know what fucking hit them."

Jake could sense Norm's affirmation with his sentiments even over the comm link. It was in the way Norm let the silence ring out for a few seconds before answering.

"Hell yeah….."

Jake laughed another laugh, it was not one born of mirth, and it carried the slightest note of desperation and hysteria to it…..it was the laugh of a man who finds the courage to laugh in the face of peril and foes.

"Norm…keep me updated if anything changes, I want to be the first to know, but other than that, I cant think of anything else right now that we need to do…..I'll see you in a couple of hours, according to my GPS locator, we will be at your locator singal in almost two and half hours, see you then. Over an out…"

Norm paused, as if doing calculations in his head to try to make sure Jake's times corresponded with the time schedule they had established. After a few moments he came blaring through over the link.

"Roger that, Jake, two and half hours, see you then. Over and out…"

Jake looked over and saw that Ska'ra and her other scouts had descended from the upper altitudes and were now flying parallel to Jake.

Ska'ra turned to him and gave small slaute. Jake returned it.

He then brought both of his legs from around the toruk's neck and pushing himself up, he stood up on the back of the toruk, turning to face the whole mass of ikran makto flying behind him.

He reached behind him and pulling his bow from where he had it strapped over his back, he grabbed it with both hands, and raised it above his head, shouting as he did so.

"OOHRAH!"

There was a flurry of movement, and then seventy arms rose into the air, all with bows in hand, and there came an answering reply to Jake's call. They cried out in unison:

"OOHRAH! OOHRAH! TORUK MAKTO!"

Even with the wind whistling in his ears and the sound of the toruk's thunderous heartbeat coming through tsayhalu, Jake could hear their reply to his call as if it was crystal clear, and he couldn't help the raucous cry of grim excitement that tore from his throat.

He surveyed his warriors for a few more moments before turning back around, and sinking back down to his seated position on the toruk's back, his legs dangling on either side of the base of its thick neck.

Jake felt the red hot excitement of war beginning to rise in his veins. Once again, he could not help the vicious sense of bloody vengeance rise in him and he embraced it, letting his emotions of rage consume him.

A fell light entered Jake's eyes and as he urged the toruk to go faster through tsayhalu, he fell back into his usual, reserved self, though molten rage seethed beneath his seemingly calm exterior.

"Outstanding…."

* * *

A/N: Well a short chapter, not much to be said about it. Sort of rush job, but I thought it turned out okay. I can't help it, I just really want to get to chapter 21 and 22, they are going to be fun to write...if not hard. Im thinking they are both going to be pretty damn long, and I am going to be making as damn close to perfect as I can, so I warn you again, it might be a while before I get the chapters up. Hmmm. I wonder. would you guys rather I posted each chapter, with possibly a fair amount of time between updates, or would rather i post both of them, so that you guys can read both battle chapters at one time? If I do it the second way, might be a long time before I get them up (not an exorbitantly long time, but at least a couple of weeks). Anyway, send me a review saying what you think about that idea. Anyway, also going to try something new for the battle chapters, (nothing drastic, just new) Im going to switch perspectives around, so as to really see the battle from different points of view as stuff finally comes together. It sort of represents how the plot is moving. All of these plot lines are converging at one point of confrontation, and so therefore, the plot could best be represented by multiple points of view all witnessing the same convergence. I have no idea whether that made any sense to any of you, but it sort of does in my head, so Im going to roll with it. Anyway, thanks for reading, you guys are awesome. I havnt gotten any scathing reviews about last chapter, which surprises me, but who knows maybe you guys are just so pissed off at me, that you wont even dignify me with a response. Its okay, that's cool. Anyway, please review, and until next time, take it easy.


	21. Tale of Revenge

A/N: Wow, this chapter was exceedinly hard to write, not to mention, it was like a creative writing marathon, and endurance trial to be sure, I just had to force myself to keep writing. There were so many plot factors to keep track of and not mix up that my head hurt. Anyway, I am pleased to present chapter 21, the longest chapter, by far, I have ever written. Cheers, its a long one, but I REALLY hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope you guys havnt been too pissed off with how long it took, but it was a lot of material to write. Read, and probably read again to get all the diffierent story aspects straight, then REVIEW!

**Tale of Revenge**

Neytiri and Moat sat upon the edge of the lake, with Neytiri dangling her feet gently into the cooling and soothing waters, while her mother sat beside her chanting a prayer and preparing certain fragrant herbs to be thrown into a small fire nearby as part of the blessing ceremony.

When Neytiri had told her mother that she was pregnant with twins, Moat had nearly fallen over, catching herself against the side of her alcove as she stumbled, staring wide eyed at Neytiri

Moat had been skeptical at first, but Neytiri had assured her that she knew it to be true…she felt it

She also reminded Moat that Jake had been a twin. Neytiri had gone silent for a few moments after that proclamation. Moat's eyes widened in understanding and then dimmed as she realized her daughter's pain.

Moat had reached out her hand and placed it upon Neytiri's shoulder.

"Jakesully was a extraordinary man, a great warrior, and a very powerful spirit, to be able to bestow you with two eveng at the same time….it has never happened before, never in all the Songs that are sung of our history…it is a blessing from Eywa that is unparalleled, unlooked for, and miraculous."

Neytiri had smiled at Moat's words, and had placed her hands upon her now significantly swollen stomach.

Moat had suddenly sprung up, and had begun to move about with an energy and speed that was surprising for one of her age.

She had gathered her things and ceremonial garb, shuffling around almost frantically. Neytiri had questioned her as to what she was doing, and Moat had rounded on her, yelling at her something about how they had to perform a blessing ceremony by the lake immediately, as the two eveng, with all of the uncertainty that surrounded such an unprecedented event, they needed as much blessing and help from Eywa that they could receive.

Neytiri did not hear the whole explanation, as she was suddenly shunted forward from the alcove, with Moat's hands pressing on her back.

Neytiri had felt like she was a naughty youngling again, being dragged around Hometree by her own mother. Moat's face was tense and lined with care as she had hurried the both of them across the clearing at the base of Hometree, Neytiri groaned inwardly as her mother kept up her chunnering and worrying the whole time.

Down the hill, and to the edge of the lake, they had gone.

They had skirted far to the right of the main Kyllteyka camp, and made for a secluded section of the northern shore, where two strange pyres of sorts had been raised, and were sitting, ready to be burned. They stood upon the shore, and Neytiri could see the piled wood was already soaked in tree sap, and thus was very flammable. These pyres were ready to light whenever someone chose to do so.

Neytiri and Moat had chosen to hide behind the pyres, away from the view of prying eyes in Hometree.

Now Moat turned to Neytiri, and with an eager look in her eyes, she beckoned her daughter to come forth. Neytiri got up, strode around to the other side of her mother, and crouched low over a small fire that her mother had built.

The small blaze consisted of mostly green leaves, so there was a copious amount of smoke rising from the embers. Moat threw the crushed plants into the fire, and then gestured for Neytiri to come forth and to breathe deeply of the dark smoke that was now emanating from the fire.

Neytiri, did so, crouching over the fire, and closing her eyes as she inhaled.

Moat stopped her when she had taken enough of the fragrant smoke.

"That is enough, child. The mixture I have just had you imbibe is a simple draft that will put your mind in a better state in which to communicate and receive Eywa with."

Neytiri nodded at her mother's words, understanding how the ritual went, as she was to be Tsahik someday.

Neytiri closed her eyes, focusing on the two sources of energy and happiness within the bond…she could feel both of her eveng, and she probed within the bond to try to discern the types of emotions being displayed, she wanted so badly to know whether she was having two sons, two daughters, or a son and a daughter.

She felt the swirling energy within her, and she could feel the plant draft taking effect, she could feel her mind sinking deeper and deeper within herself. The outside world seemed to fade, and all of her senses became numbed, but her mind's eye became ever sharper in its perception, until she felt as if she was seeing the fabric of her own existence.

She did not notice as Moat helped her up, nor did she notice when Moat led her into the shallows up to chest height

Neytiri could vaguely sense the cool feeling of the water on her skin, surrounding her, but she felt most clearly the pleasure her eveng were taking in the sensation of water for the first time, as she was sending her own sensations through tsayhalu to them.

Her eveng were happy, so therefore she was happy.

Despite her intense introspection, she could not help but notice the sensation of being fully immersed into the water without warning.

Her senses came flaring back to her, and her breath caught as she submerged, causing her eyes to shoot open in alarm.

She broke the surface, with Moat helping her up, spluttering slightly, not being out of breath, but merely just having the breath shocked from her body.

Moat led her out of the shallows and sat her gently upon the grassy bank.

Neytiri reached up and wiped water from her eyes.

She turned and looked at her mother, whose face was lit up with a rare smile and a questioning look was in her eyes.

"Well….?" Neytiri stared back at her mother, still shocked at the sudden dunking and unsure as to what she was supposed to be answering.

Moat looked skyward rolled her eyes before turning back to her daughter.

"Did you commune with your eveng? Did you…see them as they will be? Did you see them as they will look when they are born?"

Neytiri's happiness dimmed slightly. She shook her head slowly. Her mother's smile faltered slightly, but she soon put it back in place.

"Don't worry, my child, not all women can see their eveng, and since you are carrying two, there is too much confusion in the bond to truly discern them. That is why you have been unable to see them as they are, and whether they are boy or girl."

Neytiri nodded, processing her mother's reasoning, trying to rationalize to herself that that was the reason. She smiled again at the thoughts she had felt when she was within the bond, within herself. She thought back on how the confusion that Moat spoke of was due to one of her eveng, or both of them being very energetic, causing so many different emotions and thoughts to reverberate within the bond.

Neytiri looked up to see her mother staring at her, Moat's eyes raised questioningly. Neytiri looked down at her stomach for a moment before turning back to Moat.

"I feel their emotions, I feel their very energy….they are restless, I tell them to go to sleep, but they are stubborn."

Moat snorted at this, scoffing in mock surprise. Neytiri looked at her with a confused look. Moat merely shrugged.

"Well, that's no surprise, considering who their parents are…..you, who won't do what anyone else says, and will break lifelong promises to get what you want, and Jakesully….well he was stubborn enough to complete his training under your tutelage, not to mention, become Toruk Makto"

Neytiri smiled at Moat's words, rubbing her stomach as she thought how true her mother's assessment was.

They both sat on the bank in silence for some time, Neytiri ruminating on her introspective journey, while Moat stared out over the lake with a far distant look in her eyes.

Neytiri looked up and noticed that the afternoon had worn on, and that the sun was now hastening towards the treeline…..

Her happiness wavered, and she remembered what was to happen that night, and she felt a volatile mixture of sadness and anger burn into her thoughts.

Though Odo'khal's words in the forest that morning had caused her to hope that maybe something was going to happen, the cryptic nature of his words had confused her, and now she felt a sinking feeling of doubt and skepticism gripping her.

How could she avoid it now…..?

How could she have any faith?

She believed Odo'khal would protect her, but she could not see how she could stay at Hometree and avoid Tsu'tey…eventually he would win, and she would have to face him.

As if mirroring her harsh thoughts, a brazen and raucous din of horn blasts echoed across the lake, sending small creatures flying from their posts in the forest and out over the lake.

Neytiri's head shot up, and her gaze flickered this way and that, trying to search out the source of the cacophony, but the reverberating echoes that still rung out over the lake caused her ears to deceive her.

To her left, she saw her mother looking all around, apparently doing the same thing. Together, they searched the skies and the shore for any sign of life, any sign of….anything.

Suddenly, there was another barrage of gruff, discordant horns blasting forth.

This time they had no trouble realizing where it had come from, it was clear that the din had come from Hometree.

It was an answering call.

A loud chorus of harsh voices rung out across the lake, and Neytiri whipped around, facing the lake once more.

Her heart plummeted.

There, upon the far southern shore, emerging from the trees was a veritable horde of Kyllteyka tsamsiyu.

Even in the fading light, Neytiri could see them clearly, as more and more poured out of the forest, spilling onto the shores, and making their way around the edge of the lake.

They seemed like a moving pallor covering the shore, and their spears stuck out like a bristling forest.

Moat shot up as another chorus of horns blasted forth from Hometree, and instinctively Neytiri also rose, grasping onto her mother's arm.

They could only stare incredulously as more and more of the Kyllteyka poured from the southern edge of the forest. Tsamsiyu were still appearing from the forest, while the head of the ranks were now almost halfway around the lake.

Neytiri and Moat were torn from their state of shock by the sound of urgent, pounding footfalls behind them. Both of them turned to see Odo'khal charging down the hill, his boulder like chest heaving, and his eyes wide in shock.

He had his horn strapped to his side, his knife strapped to his back, and his giant bow strung across his back.

His quiver was full.

Neytiri's mind raced, trying to reconcile Odo'khal's uplifting words with her present shock.

She could only manage to stare at Odo'khal, a dumbstruck look on her face. He didn't look at her; his eyes were captivated by the sight of the inexorable horde marching around the lake.

Their path would eventually lead them to where Neytiri, Moat and Odo'khal now stood.

Odo'khal suddenly looked down at Neytiri, his eyes still wide, and his nostrils flaring, and he reached out for her arm.

"Come, princess, we must be gone from here…..this…..this…..this was not foreseen."

He gestured to the marching horde, who were now much closer, and the pale blue of their skin and white of their stripes could be seen clearly now.

Neytiri knew it this must truly have been a horrid surprise to Odo'khal, for there was not much of anything that could cause the giant Na'vi to be so speechless, so bereft on an explanation.

Moat could not turn away from the sight of the horde, and she merely began to back away from the lake, her mouth moving as the words of disbelief could not move past her lips.

All three whipped around when a flaming arrow soared out over their heads. The arrow landed in the lake with a sizzling hiss.

A lone figure stood out against the dim light on the very top of the slope, near to Hometree. They could not see who it was, but the next moment they saw the full contingent of the Kyllteyka who had been occupying Hometree, pour out over the top of the hill at a trot, heading directly for the spot where Neytiri, Moat and Odo'khal now stood.

They never had a chance to run.

Despite their shorter build, the Kyllteyka were quite fast in their gait, having practiced their strides over the hot desert flats of their homelands, for all of their history. They moved down the hill like a sweeping tide.

A moment of indecision, fueled by the lack of options and the sight of the advancing battalions, cost the three their escape, as the Kyllteyka tsamsiyu coming from Hometree were quickly closing the gap between the trees and the lakeshore, fanning out.

It seemed that Odo'khal realized this, as he immediately strode out several paces and planted his feet, his head turning between the two hordes, watching each advance. The frustration at being caught off guard was clear in his face. He didn't seek to escape now, he sought to stand his ground and fight.

Neytiri's stomach twisted in discomfort, she could sense her eveng, and they sensed her. They sensed her fear and unease, and therefore, they shrunk back within the bond, somehow hoping to escape whatever unknown foe, though they could not possibly know their own peril now.

The voices of the advancing Kyllteyka could be heard, and Neytiri could hear that the entire horde was singing some sort of rousing song in their own language, their harsh words filling the air, only serving to further the sense of dread that she now felt.

Neytiri was busy nervously watching the Kyllteyka advance, therefore she did not notice when Odo'khal reached into his side pouch and pulled forth his comm link. He did not switch the channel on, but he quickly fumbled with the device, pressing the 'PANIC' button on it. A red light began to blink on the module, showing that a panic signal was being sent out from his link. Odo'khal put the comm link back into his side pouch; silently praying to Eywa that Jake would see his signal…that it wouldn't be too late.

Moat gave a groan of dismay, pointing to the top of the hill.

Both Odo'khal and Neytiri looked to the top of the hill and saw that the lone figure who had fired the arrow, had stridden forth from the eaves of Hometree and was now illuminated in the sun's dying light that cast itself upon the slope.

Tsu'tey…..

He stood still, looking out down the hill, watching as the two armies met each other. He had a quiver of arrows strapped across his back, and his bow was held firmly in one hand.

Neytiri's mind suddenly snapped, and she rushed forward, thinking only of escaping…why had she let herself be convinced otherwise?

She felt the strong grip of Odo'khal's arm close around hers once again. She whipped around to plead with the giant, to make him understand how much peril she was truly in.

She saw Odo'khal shake his head and point out in front of them. Neytiri turned and looked, and saw now that there was no gap between the lakeshore and the open forest, and now the combined mass of the Kyllteyka now surrounded them on all sides.

The gap had closed like a snare, Neytiri felt trapped.

Odo'khal, with his grip still firmly attached to Neytiri's arm, turned to her and shook his head once more.

His eyes were pleading.

"Neytiri…..this wasn't supposed to happen…..I don't know how these other rogues came to be here, but now that we are encircled, you must stay calm. We can't get through the lines now, and we can't give them a reason to hurt you. Trust me…I've got an idea."

She saw the gleam of hope that shone in his eyes, despite his face being lined with care and worry. Neytiri knew that Odo'khal spoke the truth. Now that they were in this situation, charging recklessly through the lines of spears that now surrounded them was a much quicker way to get killed than waiting to see what would happen.

Some opportunity might present itself….

A little bubble of hope formed in her mind…

That bubble quickly died when Tsu'tey emerged from the ranks of his now fully amassed horde. His stride once more carried that arrogant flair to it, and his eyes belied the cruelty within.

Tsu'tey came to stop ten paces from Odo'khal, who stared back at him, his huge bulk set, his right hand clenched in a fist, and his left behind his back. Neytiri, standing behind Odo'khal could see that that hand had its huge fingers wrapped firmly around the handle of his knife.

Tsu'tey smiled, and he conveyed no mirth in the gesture. His fangs shone dully in the fading light. He raised his arm, and with a flick of his hand, two Kyllteyka sprung from the massed ranks, each one bearing a torch.

Each gave Odo'khal a wide berth, who glared at both of them, and they proceeded to touch the torches to the pyres that stood by the water's edge. The flames of the torches caused the tree sap that coated the wood to quickly erupt into flames.

Both of the torch bearers retreated back to their ranks and soon, the whole scene was lit up by two separate pools of fire, casting a dancing, flickering glow across the ground.

Another hand signal from Tsu'tey, all of the Kyllteyka lowered their spears, so that their tips were facing Neytiri, Moat and Odo'khal.

Odo'khal's face, cast into a forbidding and strange shadow by the dancing flames, contorted into a snarl at this gesture by the massed enemy.

Tsu'tey smirked again at Odo'khal's display of aggression.

He looked down, shaking his head slightly before looking back up at the giant Na'vi

"Odo'khal…I know you. I know what you are thinking….I know you are not one to lay down and die, but I tell you now…..that you cannot win against all of us…..and that if you impede my way…..you will do exactly that, you will lay down and die, because I will kill you myself."

Odo'khal showed no sign of fear at Tsu'tey's words, his body tensed in an alert and ready position. Tsu'tey smiled.

"You know, Odo'khal, you are not an unintelligent creature. I can see it in your eyes. You know that I am going to kill you no matter what. I admit, I do plan on killing you…sometime. I had possibly planned on making you my second in command, my right hand, a warrior of your size and brute strength would be useful, and I would have rewarded you greatly. But….."

Tsu'tey paused once again, and his eyes flicked from Moat to Neytiri, then landing back on Odo'khal. His voice became firm and more tense.

"I think we both know where you're allegiance lies; we both know that there is no going back. Now your choices stand as enslavement or death."

Tsu'tey's evil smirk became even wider, as he looked back at Odo'khal through slitted eyes.

"I don't entertain any hopes of you choosing any form of bondage, especially not at the cost of your honor and freedom….not to mention, at the expense of dishonoring your commitments to your friends."

Tsu'tey pointed over Odo'khal's shoulder to Neytiri, and he chuckled.

"No, I know you well enough, Odo'khal, to know that you will fight…you will fight with strength and valor, no doubt, but I'm telling you of your fate if you choose that path…you will die….so if there is any part of you now that values your own miserable hide, you will stand aside…and let me lay hands on my mate to be…..after all I have to help her get ready for our timunxta tonight, even if you do fight, and die, for you will, you will have gained nothing, and you will have suffered to the last in vain, for she will still be mine, when your worthless carcass is left to rot under the sun for the nantang to pick at your bones."

Neytiri noticed several of Odo'khal's fingers twitch around the handle of his knife, but he still held firm, unmoving and ominous in his silent manner.

Neytiri felt helpless, surrounded by her foes and trapped in like a cornered animal. Her eyes constantly dashed about, analyzing her surroundings, searching for any help, any possible source of escape or aid, but she found none. Her mind spun with a whirlwind of ideas and plans, each one exceedingly more wild and reckless than the one before it.

Her mind came crashing down with one final realization, one that echoed inside of her mind like the blast of horn.

This was it. There was nothing to be done, but wait…..and accept her fate.

Suddenly, a low, throaty growl filled the air.

Neytiri's eyes shot back to the scene in front of her, and she saw that Tsu'tey had taken a step closer. The growl was emanating from Odo'khal's cavernous chest.

Tsu'tey stopped.

He raised his eyebrows at Odo'khal, silently questioning him, as if to say: 'This is your last chance….will you stand aside?'

Odo'khal's smoldering glower gave Tsu'tey all the answer he needed. He turned to his massed troops, and raised his hand.

Odo'khal moved quickly, much quicker than one would expect for one of his size. His hand shot to his hip, and he pulled his horn from his belt. He put it to his lips, and without hesitation, blew a long, sonorous note, that rung out on the still air of the deepening dusk.

Neytiri shut her eyes slightly at the resonating throb of the horn blast as it hung in the air, echoing out over the waters of the lake.

Her eyes shot wide open when she heard a cry from her mother next to her. Neytiri opened her eyes to see Tsu'tey standing, his bow drawn back, an arrow notched on its string.

There was a second, when everything seemed to slow down, and sounds melded together; the only thing that Neytiri could focus on was the look of malice in Tsu'tey's eyes.

Tsu'tey let fly the shaft…..

Odo'khal, though looking up, must have seen the arrow coming in his peripheral vision, and he moved quickly…..but not quickly enough.

The arrow had been traveling directly for a spot right between his large golden-green eyes, but his instincts had told him to try to turn away and move to his right. Thusly, Odo'khal saved himself the certain death of having an arrow lodged between his eyes, but his roar of pain was testament to Tsu'tey's swiftness and his aim.

He straightened back up, a flaming anger burning in his eyes, and an arrow protruding from his left shoulder.

Neytiri cried out when she saw the shaft sticking from Odo'khal's shoulder, and she immediately moved to help him, but she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her and pull back on her. She heard her mother's quavering voice in her ear.

"No, my child! You cannot help him…..even if you could, Odo'khal has sealed his fate, the light of battle is entering his eyes, I can see it….he will kill any that come close to him now…you would go to him now, to help him, and he would kill you, not knowing what he was doing. A madness of battle is coursing in his veins. Look!"

Neytiri followed her mother's outstretched, pointing finger, and saw something that shocked her. Having seen Odo'khal angry before was nothing compared to now. Neytiri could literally see flecks of crimson peppering Odo'khal's usually gentle eyes. His face was contorted into a snarl, and his usually gently radiant luminescent spots, burned brightly, lighting a face that was darkened with anger.

She watched in grim fascination and awe as Odo'khal bared his teeth at Tsu'tey, and reached up with his hands, gripped the shaft of the arrow and snapped it as if it were a twig.

He showed no signs of pain or fear, only anger and fury.

Neytiri looked over to Tsu'tey, and she saw to some small joy of her own, that the arrogant smirk had fled his face, and the beginnings of fear were creeping onto his features. His bow was lowered slightly and his eyes showed the shock he felt. He had not expected to miss.

Her eyes were drawn back to Odo'khal, as his giant frame pitched forward suddenly, lurching, stumbling forward a few steps before he seemed to catch himself. This time, Neytiri broke free from her mother's grasp and raced around to stand in front of Odo'khal. She looked into his eyes.

Odo'khal looked up at her, and for a few moments, Neytiri could see the anger dimming, and a look of confusion began to enter the giant's eyes. Seconds later, his eyes became unfocused and glossed over, and his whole body convulsed in one giant spasm, and he keeled over on his side, his large bulk landing on the ground with a pronounced 'thud'.

He turned his head up to look at Neytiri once more, and his mouth moved a few times, as if words were meant to be spoken, but nothing came from his lips but a dull groan. His head fell to the side, lolling slightly, and his eyes shut.

Neytiri could only stare down in horror…..

Odo…?

Her mind could not process it, and therefore it couldn't be true…..there was no way that such a relatively small wound could kill a powerful warrior like Odo'khal. It couldn't be…

The only emotion that her brain seemed to be able to interpret was her own anger.

Her eyes became slitted, and her breath became short.

She rounded on Tsu'tey.

Neytiri turned around to find him standing only a short distance away. Even in her anger, she backed away out of instinct. His eyes looked up and down Neytiri's body, and his smirk became prominent on his features once more.

Seeing Tsu'tey's arrogance, Neytiri, in her anger, reached for her knife, forgetting any consequences, only wanting to cause him pain. She whipped the knife out, and charged at Tsu'tey, her sharp cry filling the air as she lunged at him.

Tsu'tey nimbly sidestepped the stabbing blow that Neytiri directed at him, and then quickly jumped back at the slash she aimed across his midriff. He ducked when she aimed another swift slash at head level. She raised her knife above her head to bring it down in a downward stab.

Tsu'tey lunged forward from his crouch, one his hands shooting out and grabbing the wrist of the hand that Neytiri held her knife in. The other hand snaked out and grabbed her by the throat.

He squeezed…..

Neytiri responded by drawing her free hand back, curling it into a fist and driving it, full force, into Tsu'tey jaw. The blow caused him to slacken his grip on her slightly, but his lapse was only momentary, as a second later, his eyes widened, blazing in untold anger, and then his grip doubled on her throat and wrist.

He gave the hand holding her wrist a violent flick, and Neytiri felt her wrist double back painfully. She let go of her knife, unable to hold onto it. Tsu'tey snarled in her face, before lifting her slightly by the throat and pushing her back roughly. Neytiri's fell back, stumbling slightly, her natural grace and balance being the only thing that saved her from falling to the ground.

She bent over slightly, coughing, both of her hands massaging her throat as she regained the breath that Tsu'tey had squeezed out of her. Involuntarily, she straightened up at the sound of his voice, its rough and menacing manner grating on her ears.

"Don't be so foolish, princess…..you cannot win against me, though you would try with all of your strength…..don't fight it, you will be mine, and you are powerless to do anything about it, that is unless...you want something to happen to your eveng."

Tsu'tey's voice emphasized the last words as he spoke, silkily glossing his tone with hidden menace.

Neytiri could feel the anger coursing in her veins, and she almost jumped on Tsu'tey again, but her hands still encircled her bruised neck, and she thought better of it.

Tsu'tey's smirk became wider as he noticed her hesitance.

"Good, good….you are learning. Obedience is a quality I seek and value in a mate, this is very good….I'm glad that you have seen that it is useless to fight me. Unfortunately, Odo'khal could not be taught that lesson. But that is of little consequence now. In fact, he is paying for his insolence now, for it would have been better to let that arrow kill him outright, as he is now suffering a painful death, as the poison from that arrow now constricts his heart."

Neytiri looked down at Odo'khal, and to her horror, she saw his giant frame twitching slightly. She could only look on in fury as Tsu'tey walked up to the giant warrior's limp form, stopped down and lifted one of Odo'khal's arms up. Tsu'tey watched disinterestedly as Odo'khal's arm fell limply back into place when he let go of it.

He looked back up at Neytiri, shaking his head.

"He could have been the most trusted and powerful of my warriors, but in a matter of minutes he will be dead…..as I speak, he is already too far gone to save, the poison has gone too deep into his veins."

Tsu'tey gave one last look down at Odo'khal before looking back up at Neytiri once more, his eyes boring into hers, and she could feel a wave of dread wash over her as he spoke.

"Now, Princess, we come to it, the time where I take what is rightfully mine, though you tried to escape your commitment to me…..you mated with that ketuwong scum…..you were supposed to me mine, and now, tonight, at the rising of the Father of the Skies, I will make you mine. I will…."

The rest of Tsu'tey's words were drowned out as a distant, booming sound was heard.

Four reports rang out across the sky, their low throb still hanging in air slightly.

Many of the Kyllteyka turned their heads to the North, where it seemed that the sounds had come from, but none were sure, as the last echoing booms washed over the forest.

Everything became silent. None were sure what they had heard, and some looked confused or skeptical to as having heard anything, but soon they all became aware of a whistling whine that filled the air.

Heads turned in all directions, scanning the skies for the source of the noise. Confused murmuring and shouting broke out amongst the Kyllteyka.

Neytiri's own head swiveled about, her eyes searching all around for the noise, her confusion and fear growing as the sound got louder…..it was getting closer, whatever it was.

The whine filled the air all around her, and the sound echoed up and down the shoreline of the lake. Some of the horde began to shuffle about, breaking ranks slightly as if about to run, and Neytiri could see the fear in their eyes, the palpable sense that she herself felt.

She recognized the sound….she had heard it once before, when the Sky People had attacked and destroyed Old Hometree. It was the sound of one their weapons….

In the last moments of dusk, it was hard to see anything with clarity, and therefore it was almost impossible for Neytiri, or anyone present, to spot the four smoke grenades soaring over the top of Hometree, and beginning their descent towards the lake shore.

Much less, the figure riding the giant toruk, speeding down from the top of Hometree. The rider and mount were in a blindingly fast dive, heading for the gathered masses on the shore like a bullet.

The next thing Neytiri was aware of was several loud thuds as metal objects fell from the sky, striking the ground amongst the massed ranks of the horde, one of the canisters striking a rogue on the head, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

The canisters bounced several times off the ground before settling in the grass of the slope.

Before anyone present, friend or foe, could process what just happened, each one of the canisters let out a small 'pop' and began to release copious amounts of thick, grey smoke.

Immediately, the sounds of small screams, coughing, cursing and fumbled movements filled the air, as the majority of the Kyllteyka horde now stumbled through a blinding fog.

Neytiri watched in strange fascination as the billowing cloud of smoke silently swallowed everything into its opaque embrace, and she did not move as the cloud swelled out and began to come closer and closer to her.

She felt the cool touch of the smoke on her skin as the cloud washed over her, and she soon found herself in a dim world of swirling mists, where the larger landscape was lost from view, and she was only able to see her close surroundings. She looked this way and that to see that her mother, much like her, was standing still, carefully examining the mist.

Neytiri turned to see Tsu'tey running about blindly, giving orders to the soldiers closest to him, and they scrambled off into the mists. He then gestured for another group to come forward. Neytiri could not hear what he was saying, not over all the dull roar of the crowding and confused horde.

The soldiers spread out in a pattern that surrounded Tsu'tey.

Neytiri realized that Tsu'tey, even in his panic, had come to the same conclusion as she had, that he had recognized those flying metal cylinders as weapons of the Sky People.

She saw the apprehension and nervousness on his face.

She saw that same nervous look dissolve into blatant fear as the four tsamsiyu that surrounded him, arubtly crumpled to the ground, they had fallen…..dead, each one of them transfixed by an arrow to the head.

* * *

Back at Hell's Gate, earlier in the afternoon, at about the same time that Neytiri and her mother were heading to the lake, Max Patel was leaning over a computer terminal, sweat pouring down his face, his glasses slightly skewed, and his breath coming in ragged wheezes.

"Fuck!"

He slammed his fists down on either side of the keyboard as he glared at the computer screen with unadulterated rage and frustration. He slapped the side of the computer with his palm.

"Work, you fucking piece of shit! Goddamnit!"

The computer gave no response, positive or negative, to Max's forceful prompting. He threw his hands up in the air in disgust.

"For fuck's sake, this is absolute bullshit"

He then bent back down over the computer screen, his hands resting on the top of the terminal.

"You have to work…please, you have to work!"

The screen gave no change to indicate that it had registered Max's fevered pleas in the slightest. Max saw this, and his eyes bulged in rage, and his brown cheeks flushed with frustration. He raised his foot, bellowing as he did so.

"Yeah, well FUCK YOU!"

At the last two words, he brought his foot crashing into the front of the CPU tower beneath the table, and his foot made contact with the hard plastic of the tower's outer shell, and he immediately regretted his decision. The tower rocked back under the impact of Max's foot and it came crashing down again with a crunch and a few sparks. Something clicked on inside of the tower and whirred to life.

Though his foot was in pain, Max looked up at the screen, flabbergasted that his stupid and pointless gesture had achieved the result he so desired.

There, on the screen before him, was a topographic satellite map of Hometree, just as it had been before, but now, after his anger induced karate kick to the CPU, the screen now displayed full infrared and thermal imaging.

Before the satellite had been working, and he had been getting a full live feed on Hometree, but he couldn't get either the thermal or infrared imaging to work.

Now it did.

His joy at his own sheer, dumb luck quickly crumbled and dissipated into the thick air of the control room, as he surveyed the screen, analyzing the thermal and infrared signatures he was now receiving.

According to the thermal imaging, there was a massive heat signature to the south of Hometree, moving through the forest, only a couple of miles away.

It was moving slowly….at about foot speed.

Max quickly reviewed the plan in his head and nothing that he remembered said anything about any of their forces approaching Hometree from the South.

Max looked back at the screen.

The signature he was now receiving was far larger than anything else on the screen. His eyes flicked up to the signatures scattered throughout Hometree, and they were dwarfed by the large red blip that now moved across the bottom of his screen. Max gulped, his throat suddenly dry.

This could be trouble.

He immediately swiped up his comm link, which had been sitting nearby, and he quickly wrapped it around his own throat. He immediately pressed the button, and tried to raise Jake.

"Jake, this is Max, do you copy?"

No reply, only static…Max's throat felt even more constricted.

"Jake, this is Max, this is Hell's Gate, urgent message, I repeat, urgent message…do you copy?"

Once again, he was met with the ominous crackle of static.

After 20 minutes of pacing the control room, trying to raise Jake, Max gave up and sank back into his chair in front of the terminal. He took one look at the screen.

His heart detached itself and dove into his lower stomach. Max felt the breath leave his body as if he had been punched in the gut.

He had failed to account for Neytiri's position, and now his eyes widened as he saw her infrared signature registering right near the lake, while the strange, massive heat signature in the south, now registered less than ten miles from Hometree.

One thing that Max was not, though he was tired, fearful and confused, was stupid, and he knew that that heat signature he was seeing was some kind of massive group of Na'vi. Max also knew that both of the clans involved had gathered all the warriors they could spare to send to this battle...

Max, though given to thinking scientifically and analytically, had learned over the years to trust his intuition. And he had a bad feeling about that large, red blip on his screen. Whatever it was, his gut instinct was telling him that it wasn't a welcoming committee for Jake.

Having listened to both Jake and Norm, and the intelligence they had gathered from Odo'khal, Max knew that Tsu'tey was shrewd and full of malicious cunning. Max harbored no doubts that Tsu'tey would have some sort of redundancy built into his plans to ensure their success. Which meant he would most likely bring in more troops to solidify his occupation of Hometree.

Which meant that Jake and his army were walking into a trap. Though Tsu'tey didn't know about Jake's attack, Max only had to look at the large red blip consuming the bottom edge of his screen to realize that whatever reinforcements Tsu'tey had secured, they surely outnumbered Jake's army.

Suddenly, as if in answer to unspoken prayers, Norm's garbled and granulated voice came cutting through his thoughts.

"Max….do you copy? Goddamnit, this thing is never gonna work, cheap piece of shit!"

Max nearly choked himself in his haste to strap the comm link back onto his throat. When it was secured, he frantically pressed the 'reply' button.

"Norm! Norm! Do you read me?"

There was a pause that lasted for several moments, but so tense was the atmosphere inside the control room, that Max felt as is those few seconds lasted for hours. He licked his dry lips, his anxiety exuding out of every pore in his body. Finally, Norm's garbled reply came through.

"Max! I read you! Thank God, I was beginning to think we were never going to be able to reach you; me and Jake have been trying all morning to raise you, but something is really funky with the flux vortex this far south, it's really strong, and I think that's what's affecting long range communication."

Max could barely contain himself as he listened to Norm ramble slightly, and when he heard Norm's voice stop, he immediately pressed down on the button, and he consciously kept himself from overloading the mike, because he felt like shouting, so much was the worry that he felt bubbling inside of him.

"Norm…you have to listen very carefully…..I repeat…what I am about to say is of vital importance. We…..have a problem. I just got thermal and infrared readings on Hometree, and there is a huge thermal signature to the south of Hometree…its heading north….at foot speed."

Even though silence loomed over the link channel, Max could practically hear the gears turning in Norm's head, as he took in Max's new and disturbing information. After several more moments of ominous silence, Norm's slightly voice came through, and to Max's surprise, it showed no fear, no quavering note, it was rigid and gruff.

"How many…?"

Max shook his head, silently marveling at how Norm could find his courage in the face of this disconcerting revelation. Max certainly did not feel courage inside himself, in fact, the two things he felt now, were worry and nausea. He composed himself and bit back the burning taste of fear in his mouth as he replied. He was afraid, for his friends, and what they were facing.

"I….I…..can't tell you that much, Norm, there's no scale on which do that sort of calculation, but I can tell you, assuredly, that whatever this is, it's bigger than all of our combined forces….its big, and its heading directly for Hometree."

Max paused, looking back at the screen and seeing Neytiri's signature still down at the lake. His urgency and worry returned again in full.

"Norm, its less than eight miles away now, and its heading directly for where Neytiri is, her signature lies directly in its path, you've got to get on the horn with Jake, and let him know…..this changes everything."

"Yeah it does…"

Norm's reply was full of bitter rage, and Max could practically hear his teeth grinding in fury.

"Max, our forces are already in position, I mean…..everything's already set up, this changes the game completely. Goddamnit….Max, you have to maintain an open comm link with me to keep us updated, but I got to talk to Jake…we have to figure out what the hell we are going to do. I don't see how we are going to reorganize our forces in time."

Max could tell that Norm was thinking out loud rather than talking to him, and he patiently listened. He could hear rustling noises in the background, and then Max heard a female Na'vi voice in the background, to which Norm answered in Na'vi. Then there were several moments of silence. Max could hear Norm sigh heavily.

"Max…..?"

Max hesitated, wanting to encourage his friend, to assure him that they could fight this new enemy, but he found no words to match his optimism, so he opted for a simple reply.

"Yeah, Norm?"

Norm's voice once again became stony and rigid.

"Put the base on high alert…we're not sure what Tsu'tey's going to try, but I don't want you guys caught off guard. Be on the lookout."

Max paled slightly, he hadn't even considered the thought of an attack on the base, however unlikely it may be, he and the few scientists and doctors that remained were in no shape to fight off a surprise attack of any kind. Norm's voice came through the link channel clearly as he lamented their plight:

"Fuck...This is just our luck."

* * *

Jake watched the sun sink farther and farther into the horizon, and he watched as its fading light cast the upper terraces of the trees into waves of dark crimson and shimmering gold. He was trying his best to focus on the beauty of the sunset, for if he let his mind wander at all, it brought him crashing back down to the fearsome reality.

As he sat with his seventy ikran makto, awaiting the time in which the attack would begin, he sat on his toruk, high in the branched of a tree. He surveyed the land that lay in several miles all around Hometree. In the distance, just peeking over the edges of the treetops, he could see the waters of the lake catching the light of the waning sun, turning the waves to gold and glitter.

Jake took a deep breath and let it out, trying with all his might to let the action soothe his soul.

He was not the type of person to become consumed by fear, to let it petrify and debilitate him. But that didn't mean that he wasn't scared, that he wasn't afraid. He was afraid, afraid for his friends, and afraid for Neytiri's safety.

He had mastered his fears of battle long ago, being a Marine had made sure of that, but fear was a multifarious beast, to say the least. Jake would argue that it's the fear for your loved ones, that is so much more potent in its ability to drive you insane. The constant, nagging worry that something will happen, that you are unable to prevent…the fear of dying is nothing compared to the fear that Jake felt burning in his chest.

The fear and the anger seethed within him like some boiling pit of molten emotion, and it drove him, it focused him, it honed his mind, and governed his decisions. But the time for planning was over….now was the time to wait.

However, not all was going to plan, he had been waiting…..for several hours now, waiting on a report from Norm, Odo'khal, Max…or anybody, for that matter.

Something wasn't quite right…

He had been receiving emotions through the bond over the past few hours, that were…..unsettling, to say the least. At first, he had felt a sense of elation and profound contentment flow into the bond. He knew Neytiri must be experiencing something particularly joyful. He had hung his head in slight sadness at this, feeling a deep seated loss at not being there to experience it with her.

However, an hour after that, he had begun to feel a sense of trepidation and fear, one that was separate from his own personal fears. It was like a living thing, crawling around on the inside of his mind, gnawing away at his senses. Feeling what he know to be Neytiri's fear, only served to amplify Jake's own sense of dear and unease.

Now, he felt a sense of dread descend over the landscape. Though he was not one for nervousness, he now felt beads of sweat drip from the tip of his nose. The air seemed stifling, constricting him into a state of unrest.

Suddenly, a couple of miles away, towards Hometree, a figure shot up into the sky, their silhouette displayed clearly against the backdrop of the setting sun. Jake watched with interest as the figure turned in the sky and began to head directly for where he was now sitting. It was obviously an ikran makto. Friend or foe, he could not tell….yet.

As the figure got closer, he recognized it to be Ska'ra. He had sent her and two others scouting the lay of Hometree when they had first arrived.

Jake saw that she was flying extremely fast, and he felt his stomach begin to sink as she got close enough for him to see her face clearly. Her eyes were wide and were full of fear. Jake did not need words to tell by her actions that the look that she now wore meant that something was off.

The toruk gave a low sound of disapproval, sort of a cross between and growl and grunt, as Ska'ra and her ikran landed in the branch directly across from Jake and his massive mount.

Jake looked over Ska'ra. She was breathing heavily, as if she had just run a great distance. Her face was plastered with sweat, and her mouth open and closed repeatedly, but no words came.

Jake held out his hand, trying to calm her.

"Mawey, Ska'ra…"

Ska'ra, still breathing heavily shook her head, gesturing back over her shoulder, towards Hometree.

"Toruk Makto….there are…..more….they come from the south…they are coming!"

Jake furrowed his brow in confusion, not sure of what to make of her words. Apparently, his confusion was apparent, because Ska'ra pointed again and redoubled her efforts to emphasize to Jake what she was saying, injecting a note of hysteria into her voice.

"Jakesully! There is…another army! There are more Kyllteyka…..coming from the south! They are near to Hometree…..very close, and there are many…they are a much larger force than our combined strength."

Jake still sat there, unable to comprehend Ska'ra's words. What army was she talking about? Nobody was coming from the south, all of their forces were ….

Then it hit him….Jake felt as if he had been smacked in the face, and he sat there, dumbfounded. His eyes widened and his ears began to fill with a buzzing noise.

He felt his eyes bulge with fury at his own haste and his lack of foresight. He reined in the toruk, and he felt his own fury cause a rustling of ferocious sensations in the great beast, and the bond became alive with its primal ferocity.

Jake turned to Ska'ra and the seventy ikran makto parked in the trees behind him.

"Stay here, keep watch, and wait for my return, I repeat, do not break cover, until I return…..but when I get back, be ready to fly."

With that, Jake turned in his seat, and gave a shout, and the toruk beat its massive wings, causing the branches to whip about under the force of the beast's powerful strokes. The creature lifted off the branch and began to gain altitude.

Soon, both mount and rider were lost to the crimson glow of the twilight.

* * *

Mushirruh stirred in her lair. Long had it been since she had left it, not daring to expose herself to the filth that lived above her. But now, a strange hunger filled her, and she could not deny a strange impulse drawing her forth from her cavernous abode.

Like a carrion beast that is drawn from afar to battle and bloodshed, Mushirruh was drawn forth by a kindling of some deep calling. Though she did not know how, she sensed that tonight there would be blood.

She navigated her ways through the labyrinthine network of tunnels that made up her new home.

She knew all the tunnels, for her lair had many entrances and many exits….leading to the lake.

* * *

Jake and the toruk flew high above the Kyllteyka horde.

Even at dusk, in the dim light, Jake could see the pale shapes moving out of the trees at the southern edge of the lake. He felt the anger and frustration burn within him as he watched them pour out of the trees by the hundreds.

Well, Jake thought, the shit has certainly hit the fan now.

Just then, a rush of static and dissonant tones breaks the silence. Jake looks down at the comm link he holds in his hand, almost skeptical of it finally working. However, he quickly strapped it on when Norm's frantic voice came scratching through.

"Jake! Jake! Do you copy?"

Jake smiled slightly in relief that he was finally achieving some form of communication, that his plan hadn't gone completely to shit.

"Yeah, Norm, I read you…talk to me, man. We got less than three hours until this party needs to get on the road, tell me what you got."

Jake was taken aback as a raucous burst of humorless laughter erupted from Norm's end of the channel.

"What do I have? I don't have shit….however, what WE have are bug fucking problems."

Jake's stomach started to churn at Norm's words, and he felt the anger build up in him once more, but rather than distract him, his rage fueled him and it worked to help him think.

"No shit, Sherlock…they going to give you the Nobel prize for outstanding work in bullshit-onomics for figuring that one out?"

There was silence on Norm's end of the channel. Jake took the opportunity to continue his rant.

"I'm two thousand feet off the deck right now, and I'm looking down at the lake, and you know what I see?"

More silence. Jake's mind flared in anger.

"At least five hundred Kyllteyka warriors marching on Hometree, that's what I see Norm"

There was a few second more of silence, before Norm's voice came crackling back into life.

"So…..you know already…..listen, Jake, there was no way we could have known about this…we have to figure out something fast, or otherwise once Tsu'tey gets all of those warriors inside of Hometree, that place will like an impenetrable fortress. What are we going to do, Jake?"

Jake could not help but be slightly impressed by Norm's tactical insight, which had been exactly along the lines of what Jake had been thinking. If Tsu'tey did get all of these new warriors into Hometree's perimeter, then they would be hard pressed to dispel them without having an army of equal size. Jake shook his head, trying to expel his doubts. It was do or die now.

"You're wrong, Norm…we could have seen this coming, all we had to do was post scouts, but that's beside the point now….here's what were going to do."

Suddenly, Jake heard a barrage of horn blasts from below, and to his dismay, he saw the rest of the Kyllteyka, the ones that been at Hometree, come sweeping out over the grassy slope that led towards the lake. They were welcoming the reinforcements.

Jake circled back around to get a better look.

He saw both groups marching double time towards the lake shore. He cringed as he saw how big the entire Kyllteyka army would be now with its combined mass.

"Jake! Do you copy?"

Norm's voice brought him back to present, as he had been imagining that he had one Tomahawk missile, just one piece of high explosive ordnance. With the entire Kyllteykan horde massed up by the lake, all he would need was one shot, and he could turn that entire bunch of pasty fucks into a red mist.

Jake realized, suddenly, that he did have a bomb of sorts. The bomb!

Jake, Max and Norm had worked for a week, compiling all of the explosive materials they could find at Hell's Gate and placing it inside of a steel box frame, with cargo netting keeping all of the contents in place. It was a motley assortment of flares, fireworks, leftover ammunition, grenades, two pounds of C4, homemade pipe bombs, and the coup de gras: one very large, ultra light canister of napalm.

The entire thing weighed less than three hundred pounds.

The bomb was detonated by a timer, but had never been meant as an offensive weapon, but Jake had envisioned setting it off in forest, near to the small cove in the lake, where the pa'li warriors were positioned.

The explosion would be a massive diversion basically. Jake knew that Tsu'tey couldn't leave something like that uninvestigated, and that he would send out a contingent of his soldiers to check it out. The bomb was meant to get Tsu'tey to divide his forces, so that Jake and his warriors could swoop in on Hometree and finish the deal. The pa'li would take care of whatever soldiers that came to investigate the explosion, and there it was. The battle would be over. Case closed.

Jake shook his head. How could he have so fucking stupid to think it would be that simple?

Nothing ever was.

But now, Jake realized that he had one shot at achieving victory tonight. All of the Kyllteyka forces amassed in one spot like that…..he would not get another opportunity like this.

He pressed the reply button on his link.

"Here's what we're going to do Norm…..listen carefully. We have zero time and zero margin of error. You are going to get Var'ya and her bigass ikran, and you two are going to fly due south from your position to Nguvo and his warriors...they are situated in the forest, just away from the southeastern end of the lake. Remember the chokepoint cove, the one we mapped out on the hologram?"

Norm's voice came back tepid, as if sounding unsure where Jake was going with this.

"Yeah, I do…."

"Well, they are positioned to the East of that cove by a about half a klick….you go to Nguvo, tell him what has happened…..tell him and his hundred warriors to head north around the edge of the lake with all speed…tell him that my scouts will be waiting for him, they will point him in the right direction."

Jake paused, his breathing became heavier, and he felt tension building in his chest. His voice could not have sounded more dire or firm than it did now.

"Norm….listen to me, this is extremely important. You and Var'ya, you have to get the bomb….tell her that her ikran has to pick the bomb up, and when my signal goes off, you guys will around a minute and a half of cover."

Jake paused.

"You have to understand, both groups of Kyllteyka warriors are meeting each other on the lake shore, they are all in one spot, we are not going to get another opportunity like this. You have to get the bomb, fly it across the lake, and drop it on those bastards…..get the remote timer, its strapped to the netting, and set it right before you drop it…..Norm, we can't let them leave that shore alive, not when we are this outgunned."

Jake heard Norm relaying his orders in Na'vi to someone in the background. There was a female voice answering Norm in Na'vi. Norm came back on, his tone anxious and worried.

"Jake….Var'ya says that her ikran can do it….but how will we know when to drop the bomb? Are you going to be clear of the blast?"

"I won't be in there when the bomb goes off, and you will know when to drop it, because I will have launched four smoke grenades into the middle of that crowd from the top of Hometree…..that whole hillside is going to be covered in a fog, when you guys see that smoke start to go off, that's your cue, haul ass across the lake….I guess you will be coming from the south west, and drop that thing on top of them, and then get the hell out of there….that blast is going to be fairly large."

"How do we know we won't be hitting our own?"

"What do you mean?"

Jake could hear Norm slapping his own palm against his forehead.

"Goddamnit, I forgot to tell you…..now…..don't freak out, Jake….it won't help anything if you do, but…..Neytiri is down on that beach. She's penned in down there. I just got off the line with Max, right before I started talking to you, and he says Neytiri's signal is registering right at the northern edge of the lake…he got real time imaging online and he said that Neytiri, Moat and Odo'khal are penned in by that horde, that nothing is happening, but that the Kyllteyka won't let them leave the shore…like they're waiting for something to happen."

Jake's mind had stopped racing, as it had been when Ska'ra had first delivered her terrible news. Now, it was clear. To Jake, it was evident what he had to do. To anyone else, the idea he now held in his brain would seem insane.

Jake paused. When he pressed the button on the link, he felt his own voice move from his throat like the knell of some ominous bell. The time had come for drastic action.

"Norm ,quick change of plan…..we still have to drop that bomb…...but I got to make sure Neytiri's safe before you do that….now I didn't tell anyone about this, because it was really a moot point whether anyone knew or not, but I have a remote detonator for that bomb. So, when my smoke goes up, that's still your cue to drop the bomb, but I'll detonate it from the ground once I've made sure that I can get Neytiri free of the blast."

There was a heavy pause on the link channel, and Jake could feel the unspoken tension and incredulity Norm felt, even though he was silent. Finally, when he did speak, his voice faltered slightly under the weight of a wheezy, frustrated chuckle.

"Wait….so let me get this straight, you are going to be the bait? Jake…..there's too many of them."

Jake felt his jaw tighten, his voice once again sounded thunderous and grave in his own ears.

"I only need to kill one….I kill Tsu'tey, then detonate the bomb, that will kill off some of them, and you're forgetting the rest of my plan…I'm going to have the Kyllteyka's undivided attention, and they will let their guard down thinking that they can easily kill me, when they have me so outnumbered, well…..that's when my warriors do a couple of strafing runs over those ugly bastards, and send them scurrying for cover…we'll be lucky if we actually get to kill anything, I'm willing to bet Odo is going to disembowel them all with his bare hands."

Norm chuckled slightly at Jake's grim joke, but he soon became silent again, only speaking after a heavy sigh.

"Jake….I trust your judgment, and I know we've only got one shot to make this work…..but goddamnit, man…..whys everything got to be so fucking hard with you?"

Though the situation was virtually void of any humor, and all too grave, Jake could not help but laugh. He felt the last of his happiness escape him as the small chuckle escaped him. He would only be happy again when he held Neytiri….safe from harm, and when he could stand over Tsu'tey's dead body…..victorious.

He was just about to reply to Norm, when he heard a beeping sound….it was coming from his comm link. Jake quickly unstrapped the device from around his neck and brought it up to his eyes.

The red 'PANIC' light blinked bright against the now darkening sky. Jake once again felt his mind warp with fear.

"Oh shit…."

* * *

F'yukan, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut raced through the dimly lit forest, their footfalls heavy in the underbrush…..their need for haste was great, they cared little for how much noise they now made.

The four Omaticaya taronyu were running parallel to the eastern edge of the lake, though they stayed to the cover of the trees.

None of them wanted to be caught out in the open after what they having seen a huge, strangely colored ikran fly overhead, bearing two riders, a male and a female.

They had been greatly startled, while out hunting, by this aerial intruder. The newcomer was trespassing onto Omaticaya land, and when the four taronyu had heard the shouts of many Na'vi off to the south, they turned and run north will all speed. They were running to tell Odo'khal, Princess Neytiri and the Tsahik of these new intruders.

They had decided they would hold a warrior's council, once again gathering all of the Omaticaya taronyu and tsamsiyu in secret to decide their course of action against this new threat. They would all look to Odo'khal for guidance, him being the strongest warrior of the clan, and quite frankly, the warrior that their former and real olo'eyktan would have left in charge if he were still alive.

They all trusted Odo'khal and knew him to be not only a powerful warrior, but an intelligent and perceptive individual, who in a situation like the one they now faced, could find a wise and effective solution.

Therefore, their intent was to inform Odo'khal as soon as possible of any potential threats.

Suddenly, the trees thinned out, and the four taronyu found themselves on the northeastern shore of the lake…..and the scene they beheld caused all four of them to stop in their tracks, stricken.

There upon the northwestern bank, stood Odo'khal, Princess Neytiri and Tsahik Moat….surrounded by a seething sea of Kyllteyka warriors. None of the four spoke as they took in the vastness of the horde they now cast their eyes upon.

Two large pyres suddenly burst into flames as they were lit, and by the dancing orange glow, they could see that Odo'khal now stood apart from the Princess and the Tsahik…..he stood alone facing the horde.

K'yuut was the first to act.

Without a word, he took off up the shore, pulling his bow off of his back as he ran. He sent sand flying in all directions as his feet pounded away up the shore.

The other four immediately went into action and followed suit and soon the four figures were rounding the top of the lake shore, putting on a extra burst of speed…..hoping they were not too late.

They had to help the three trapped by the writhing masses of enemy warriors.

They had to do something before Odo'khal started a fight that he could not finish.

K'yuut suddenly stopped as he rounded a bend in the shore, he backed up behind the cover of the bank and crouched. He turned to the other three and gestured for them to stop and do the same.

Right around the bend, were the two pyres….and their beleaguered friends, and Tsu'tey himself. They could see that he was ranting on about something, and all the horde were focused on his every word….all intent on seeing the confrontation between their cruel leader and the Omaticaya warrior they feared above all others.

The four hunters used this to their advantage.

Together, with bow drawn and arrow notched on strings, they moved out from behind the bank and into the shallows of the lake.

Silently, and with few ripples, they moved through the dark waters at waist height, slowly, but surely advancing upon the drastic scene. In the grey light following dusk, they blended right in, melting like shadows into the water, and soon, they halted at a position right out of the fire's glow…..waiting.

They could not afford to give away their position, but at the same time, none of them would hesitate to strike if the situation should escalate.

The situation escalated.

There were a few short shouts, a horn blast, the swish of a taut bowstring being slackened and before anyone of them could register what had truly happened, Odo'khal lay upon the ground, and arrow protruding from his body.

Though they were hardened warriors, they could not help but stare in shock at Odo'khal's limp form. They saw Neytiri leaning over the giant's body, and much to their dismay, Neytiri leapt upon Tsu'tey in a fit of rage, effectively, escalating the situation again.

All four of them wanted to put an arrow right between Tsu'tey's malicious eyes, and none of the four would hesitate to do so, in order to protect the Princess, but now that she was trying to fight him, they could not fire, for fear of hitting her.

When Tsu'tey pushed Neytiri to the ground, they wisely held their fire, seeing that a fully fledged fight was not going to happen….they continued to wait, hoping for the right opportunity to fire, but at the same time, also hoping that the whole situation descended to a peaceful enough level that resulting to a last stand would not be necessary.

They watched and waited…eagerly trying to listen in on what Tsu'tey was saying to Neytiri. They could only catch snatches of 'obedience', 'poison' and 'Odo'khal'. All four looked at each other, and they had an understanding of each other's fury at the thought of Odo'khal, their friend and fellow warrior, dying slowly from some vile Kyllteyka poison.

They, like everyone else present on the lake shore, turned their heads in confusion and apprehension at the four booming reports that echoed around the landscape. Instinctively, all four crouched lower in the water upon hearing the crescendo on whining and whistling. They, like Neytiri, recognized those sounds as terrible knells of death and destruction. They knew the sound to be associated with a tawtute weapon.

Their eyes widened in curiosity as they watched the four metal canisters crashed and rolled on the hillside before they started spewing thick smoke.

Soon the entire scene was covered in a cloud of the viscous vapor, and the four hunters lost track of the Princess.

Ja'ri scrambled from the shallows, splashing to the shore and ducking behind one of the pyres. The other three saw his intentions and followed suit. Soon, all four were positioned behind both of the pyres, and they peered around the sides, to try and look through the fog.

The shadowy shapes of the confused and slightly afraid Kyllteyka warriors loomed about, most of them stumbling about in the fog, unsure what to make of their new surroundings.

They saw the Princess standing close to her mother and Odo'khal's body. Tsu'tey stood a short distance off, gathering four warriors to him.

Ja'ri turned and smiled to the other three. They all nodded at each other.

Four arrows were drawn from their quivers.

Four arrows were notched to bowstrings.

Four bowstrings were drawn back, tight and firm.

Four hunters took careful aim at each of their respective targets.

Four hunters loosed their shafts upon an unspoken, but understood moment.

The four Kyllteyka that had guarded Tsu'tey fell dead.

* * *

Neytiri could only stare in shock as the four Kyllteyka lay at Tsu'tey's feet, their eyes staring lifeless into the dimness.

Tsu'tey mirrored her shock, and his fear registered upon his face, and it was the palpable sense of pure fear born of something having gone incalculably wrong.

Suddenly, the lurid cry of an ikran rang out, along with a strange Na'vi battlecry, and was followed by a loud 'thud' as something quite large crashed into the ground. There shouts of surprise and shock from several Kyllteyka farther up the hill, where the sound had originated from.

Confusion reigned.

The massed horde was descending into a squabbling and stumbling mess. Neytiri saw her chance for escape, but before she could act, she found herself suddenly aware of a growing presence inside of her mind. She stopped, and she felt the presence grow like a insistent tickle inside of her consciousness, but she soon realized that it was separate from her own mind and thoughts. She felt a sudden rush of hope and happiness, and for a reason unbeknownst to her, she looked up.

A resounding shout filled the dark sky and all heads turned to peer up through the fog, their confusion and apprehension melting into fear at the strikingly formidable sound.

"TSU'TEY!"

There was a great din of beating wings, and the smoke whipped about as something descended out of the sky.

Screams and terrified shouts rang out from the ranks of the Kyllteyka as the toruk landed amongst them like a primordial beast brought forth from the very realm of nightmare.

The toruk slammed its clawed feet into the dirt with crushing force, and arched its neck up to the sky, letting forth a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the very air.

On its back, standing tall, was a figure cloaked in the mists he had descended upon.

All eyes turned to behold the one who rode the Last Shadow…..

Suddenly above the din, Tsu'tey's voice cut through clearly, high and disbelieving.

"NO!….."

Then, his voice dropped to a low and venomous tone of hatred.

"You…."

Jake leapt down from the back of the toruk, and all those who took in his countenance cowered before the unadulterated and profound coldness of the fury they saw there.

All except Tsu'tey.

The fury in his own eyes rose to a level almost to match Jake's, and the two stared at each other through the mist, their golden eyes like blazing through the darkness, their indomitable hatred for each other blotting out all else around them.

Jake didn't notice that he was surrounded by seven hundred enemy soldiers…..he had eyes only for Tsu'tey. No frown or grimace creased his face, his jaw was set and his lips were creased in a tight, emotionless line. No mercy or kindness was in his face, and only his eyes belied the churning torrents of wrath within.

Jake took a confident step forward, his eyes never leaving Tsu'tey's. Silent and ominous, he strode forward into flickering orange glow of the fires, and his face seemed to take on a more twisted and ferocious light as the shadows danced about, and the light of the flames reflected in his blazing eyes.

He had a knife strapped to his side, a bow and full quiver of arrows strapped across his back.

Tsu'tey held his ground, but his hands trembled more violently at each step Jake took closer to him. When Jake was within twenty paces, Tsu'tey suddenly gave a cry to several of his soldiers.

Three burly tsamsiyu sprung forth, spears raised, shouting a war cry. Other warriors watched, silently hoping that their brethren would kill this fearsome new intruder. However, none of them were too eager to face the warrior who wouldn't die….the warrior who they thought had been dead.

Jake stopped, waiting until the soldiers were almost upon him, and then with a swift and fluid yank, he pulled forth a sword from a sheath that had been strapped across his back.

The first soldier, charging recklessly forward with a cry of fierce jubilation at the sight of an unarmed enemy, only saw a quick flash of the firelight upon the silver steel, before he fell to the ground, gasping for air and staring at the huge gash stretching across his chest.

The second warrior barely had time to register that his comrade had been injured, before he himself, stumbled back, crying out in agony as he held a profusely bleeding stump, where his arm had been seconds before. He fell to the ground screaming, trying to staunch the blood flow with his remaining hand.

The third warrior skidded to a halt in horrified shock as he suddenly saw his friends fall to the fearsome weapon that the terrible warrior now wielded. His face contorted in fear, and he turned, running, hoping by some fortuitous circumstance that he could escape this warrior whom they had wronged.

He made it a short distance in his retreat, before he pitched forward and fell forward to the ground…dead. Jake's sword protruded from his back, quivering as the warrior lay still. Jake walked over to the warrior's body, placed his foot upon the warrior's back, and pulled the sword free with the gruesome squelching sound of tearing flesh.

He straightened up and looked around him.

All of the Kyllteyka warriors were standing there, looking at him with a palpable mixture of fear, shock and horror on their faces. It was evident that most of them seemed to think that Jake was some sort of avenging demon sent forth from beyond to wreak havoc on them for their deeds against him.

None dared to move against him now, not under any order from Tsu'tey. He had descended from the clouds like some sort of terrible omen, and now he stood amongst them, seemingly invincible in his wrath.

Fear hung rife upon the breeze, and the only sounds were those of the Kyllteyka, frantically scrambling to get out of reach of Jake's gaze and his fearsome sword.

Suddenly, a cold, harsh laugh broke the silence, and Jake turned to face the sound, and his eyes narrowed to slits as he watched Tsu'tey's face crack into a hateful leer as he laughed.

"Jakesully, I'm shocked to see you here….alive."

His voice let the last word seep forth as if he was letting out some sordid secret. His tongue twisted at the sound of it. Grudgingly, it would seem, that he was accepting what his eyes were telling him.

Tsu'tey's arrogance seemed to be recovering from his profound shock at Jake's continued existence, as a small smirk creased his face, and his glare was filled with malicious pleasure.

"However, I am shocked to see you here…I wouldn't think you would want to be present for MY timunxta"

Jake's face remained stoic and emotionless, but his eyes blazed at Tsu'tey's words. His voice came out flat and almost careless, but the tension in the air and the anger in his eyes left no one in doubt that his voice was full of danger.

"Tsu'tey…I'm going to give you one chance, and one chance only"

Jake paused slightly and a small smirk of his own formed upon his face, a small bit of reserved and confident Jake breaking through the vitriol that now coursed through him.

"Leave now…..take your Kyllteyka tsamsiyu with you….go south, and never return."

Jake said the last two words with a finality that was like a hammer striking an anvil. His formidable tone rung out through the air.

Tsu'tey snarled, his voice hoarse with anger as he growled his reply.

"And if were to refuse to follow your commands…what fate would befall me?"

Jake's smirk withered, and his cold fury came out in his voice as he replied.

"You…will die. All of your soldiers will die. I will personally see to it that you do not leave here with your life."

Tsu'tey's face contorted with rage, his hands swinging wide above his head, gesturing to his horde.

"Empty words from ketuwong scum….look around you, Jakesully, O mighty Toruk Makto…you're idle threats are dispelled liked ashes on the wind in the face of my army…you are surrounded…and you cannot fight all of us!"

The smirk returned to Jake's face, and a grim pleasure seeped into his countenance. He reached into his side pouch and pulled forth a small black, cylindrical object. It was fit neatly into the palm of his hand, and he held it, with his thumb positioned upon a red circle at the top of the object.

Jake held the detonator aloft as he stared directly into Tsu'tey's eyes.

"Oh…but can't I?"

Jake pressed the red button.

Further up the hill, a monstrous boom sounded, shaking the very ground and sending a huge fireball into the air.

All turned to mass chaos.

With Jake's tumultuous and violent arrival, everyone present had forgotten about the large metal object which had been dropped into the middle of the horde. They had forgotten all about the bomb, and their attention had been given to the confrontation between Jake and Tsu'tey…..just as Jake had wanted it to be.

Therefore, none of the Kyllteyka thought anything more on the bomb that had been dropped in their midst. They paid for their inattentiveness dearly.

Presently, the remaining Kyllteyka, those who had not been thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion, lurched about in a shocked and deafened daze. None of them had ever seen the destructive power of the Sky People, never having had contact with them, so now the Kyllteyka who retained some of their wits, now were confident in their assumptions that Jake was some form of demon, for he had powers beyond which any of them could reckon.

Many of the Kyllteyka offered up fevered prayers to their own forgotten gods, frantically begging to be spared by the avenging warrior, that they were regretful of the crimes they had committed against him and his people.

Screams and cries rent the air as the wounded languished in pain, but none of their own came to their side, many that were able to stand, merely stood, shocked into silence and motionlessness by the horror of the explosion.

Small fires had sprung up everywhere and there was a small crater in the ground where the explosion had taken place. All around the indention, small fires roared as the napalm stuck to anything it touched…..grass, dirt, body parts.

The carnage was horrific, as the bodies and body parts of the slain lay all around the blast site. Some that had stood close to the blast had been completely incinerated, but some had just been blown into several pieces, and some merely lay in a melting puddle of flesh as tissue as the napalm scorched their remains.

The acrid and acerbic stench of burning flesh was a reek that pervaded the hillside.

Jake had crouched to the ground when he had triggered the detonator, and now he rose, slightly dazed from the jarring blast he had endured. He shook his head, trying to quickly regain his senses.

Feeling slightly more alert and able, he turned his head and saw that the entire horde was still reeling and fumbling from the blast.

Now was his chance.

Without hesitation, he turned and dashed through the stunned ranks of the Kyllteyka, knocking one to the ground that stood in his way. He ignored their muffled cries and protests, and several of them saw him coming and hurried to get out of his way, fearful of some hidden power he might have yet to reveal.

The crowd cleared and Jake saw a sight that caused his heart to soar and plummet at the same time, resulting in it clenching up painfully.

There, in front of him was Neytiri…seemingly fine and ok. His heart soared at the sight.

However, she was crouched over Odo'khal's body. Jake took noticed the pale color of Odo'khal's skin and the arrow sticking from his shoulder.

Jake, of all people, was able to recognize the effects of some kind of poison at work.

However, even his concern for Odo'khal was swept aside as Neytiri began to turn. Jake could not hear anything going on around him, except the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears. Everything seemed to slow down, and he felt as if every second was an eternity.

Finally, Neytiri looked up, and their eyes locked. Jake's mind went blank, and the only thing that mattered was that he get to Neytiri, that he could hold her…..now.

Suddenly an explosion of sensation burst inside his mind, and a smile of resounding brilliance broke out on his face. He was feeling Neytiri through the bond…..the shock, doubt and elation that she was feeling at seeing him alive. Their eyes burned into each other's and Jake could only smile even wider at the look of profound shock on Neytiri's face.

He was about to rush over to her, when he heard Tsu'tey's voice ring out, harsh and full of rage.

"Seize him!"

Jake felt two pairs of strong arms grab his shoulders.

Jake's jubilation quickly morphed into determined fury. No one was going to stop him from getting to Neytiri, not when he was so close. He reacted solely on instinct. He quickly grabbed one of the arms holding him, holding it with both hands, and he pulled with great force, stooping slightly as he did. He felt the Kyllteyka warrior roll over his back as he flipped him over his shoulder.

Jake then felt a solid punch land on his stomach. He grunted through the pain, absorbing the impact, and turning to face his attacker. He saw another punch coming, and he quickly blocked it both hands, pushing the offending arm into the air, exposing his attackers midriff, upon which he landed a solid kick, knocking the wind from his attacker.

Jake felt the madness of combat beginning to enter his veins, and he involuntarily lost control of his rage, and even his desire to see Neytiri was dimmed as all was pushed from his consciousness but the image of Tsu'tey. Hatred coursed through his veins like liquid fire.. He looked down at the arm he held in his hands in an iron grip.

The only thought he could coherently form in his mind in that moment was that in order for all of this chaos and madness to end….in order for him to be with Neytiri…..Tsu'tey had to die.

With a roar of fury, Jake snapped the arm, eliciting a cry of pain from his attacker, who fell to the ground, clutching his fractured arm, when Jake released him.

Jake turned on the spot, and the very air seemed to crackle with a blast of electricity as his blazing glare landed upon Tsu'tey. He advanced…

Tsu'tey felt his own rage boiling up when his and Jake's eyes met, but it faltered and dimmed into a note of fear when her saw the pure vitriol practically exuding from Jake.

He began to back away. Jake continued to come forward. Tsu'tey cried out for his warriors to take Jake, but none moved obeyed his commands, as they had seen what had happened to the last two who had tried to capture the warrior, the one who defied death.

Tsu'tey kept backing up, until his feet suddenly splashed into the shallows of the lake. He turned and looked down, not realizing that he had been so close to the lake's edge and after staring at the water for a few moments a look of dawning realization crept onto his face. He continued to back into the water, and while doing so, he looked back up at the still advancing Jake.

A look of silent triumph was smeared across Tsu'tey's face.

Jake saw the Tsu'tey's face, and his look of arrogance, only caused Jake's fury to become more insistent in its intensity. His voice was like the crack of a whip as he called out, his fearsome tone resounding along the lake shore.

"What's the matter, Tsu'tey? Are you scared to actually fight me? Are you scared that without poison, I won't be such an easy target? I'm alive, Tsu'tey….I know it breaks your heart to find that out, but now I'm telling you that should have made sure I was dead when you had the chance. You should've killed me properly Tsu'tey."

Tsu'tey's face twisted with a glowering sneer, and his teeth showed brightly in the light of the fires.

"No, Jakesully…..I have never been, nor never will be afraid of a tawtute or a ketuwong, thusly, I am not afraid of you…But you're right about one thing…I should have made sure that you died in that grave…..but rest assured Jakesully, your seeming resurrection and continued existence are a mistake I seek to remedy. I seek to fight you, O great Toruk Makto, I seek to end this…..here and now."

Jake gave a leer of his own, a small smile of grim confidence breaking his face.

"I was kind of hoping you would say that…."

Tsu'tey laughed, a raucous sound that echoed across the water. He shuffled backwards several steps more, causing the water to ripple and break around him. He suddenly stopped, looked down into the dark water, examining it for several moments before turning to look back up at Jake, who now stood of the edge of shore.

"Jakesully, you will regret those words before the night is through….for you wont live through the night, I will see to that."

Tsu'tey paused for several seconds, letting his words sink in, before adding with a redoubled sneer.

"After all, I have my own timunxta to attend tonight, and I don't remember inviting you"

Jakes faced warped as a growling snarl broke out, and his fangs shone white against the darkness and the shimmering firelight.

Tsu'tey laughed harshly at Jake's display of anger, and his own eyes danced with anticipation.

Jake picked up his foot and slammed it into the ground, and his hands shot to his knife. He felt his rage taking control.

"Come on! Fight me!"

Tsu'tey only smiled with the air of someone who sees victory in sight. His voice came out silkily, and he could not withhold the note of malicious glee.

"Oh, but Jakesully, you won't be fighting just me….."

Jake didn't register Tsu'tey's words, so focused was his anger and battlerage. He watched in anger and confusion as Tsu'tey, now standing in waist deep water, brought both of his hands above his head and closed both of his eyes. Tsu'tey's voice rung out over the surface of the lake, as he shouted in a clear and resounding tone.

"Zomandi uz tyrkash uz ashku sarkhadu! Sarkhadu!

There were several moments of silence as the words of the strange tongue echoed out across the water. Soon, all that could be heard was the crackle of the flames, and the wind whipping across the lake. Everything seemed to descend into a grim serenity, a deceptive tranquility. The air was heavy with unyielding tension.

Suddenly, there was a low rumbling sound. A slow tremor passed over Jake, and he held his knife at the ready, not sure of what had happened. He into the lake.

Great ripples shook the water all around Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey began to laugh…..a cold, pitiless, mirthless sound of depravity.

Tsu'tey began to rise from the water, seemingly propelled upwards by some unseen force.

He cleared the water, still rising, standing on what looked like some large black boulder.

Jake could only watch in numbed disbelief as the mass upon which Tsu'tey stood became larger and larger as more of its shiny, dark bulk became revealed, displacing the water in a tormented froth.

A piercing red eye snapped open, its crimson light flickering as it reflected the light of the fire, magnifying its menace, sending a wave of despair into Jake's heart.

It could not be real….

It was….

Terrible in her might and majestic in her iniquity, Mushirruh rose from the waves….

* * *

A/N: For those of you reading this authors note: two things. Firstly, thank you for actually reading my authors notes, I know there are some people who just like to read these notes. Oh well. Secondly, congratulations on surviving that brutal reading experience I just put you through. That chapter was a monster, and quite frankly, I'm going to go ahead and apologize now for inconsistencies and grammatical errors, because to be totally honest, I didn't do a lot of editing, because that chapter was just too fucking big to reckon with. I created a monster. What can I say, I'm lazy, and I was really, really, really excited to get this chapter posted. Although it was probably the hardest time I've ever had in writing a chapter (not just because of its exceeding length), I also am the most satisfied with my creation and my effort. So, therefore, I am extremely pleased with how it turned out, and now I face the daunting task of writing the full on battle chapter...shit, what have I gotten myself into. This chapter was around 15,500 words, so I dont even want to think what the next chapter is going to be like. Also, it doesnt help that I'm still feaking sick. I was sick as a dog the whole time I wrote this chapter. Word of advice: Don't spend an entire Saturday bowhunting in the mountains without the proper jacket. I spent the whole day sitting in a tree stand, freezing my balls off. I felt like a unprepared rookie, or a 'shave tailed louie' as Quaritch said in Avatar. The shame was unbearable. I paid for it by getting a massive cold. It sucked. But enough complaining and rambling on my part. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much I enjoyed writing it. Please Review! This chapter is the longest, therefore it is the one with the most potential for citicism, please please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Take it easy!


	22. Stone Cold Metal

A/N: WOOOOOOOW! Im a douchebag for not updating in almost three whole months. I feel like a shitstain, but my shame is somewhat reduced by the fact that I can finally introduce to you the the new chapter! Holidays and new jobs just got in the way of things. Im sorry it took so long but here it is. Have fun. Please review. Writers block completly blows, but what blows even worse is getting over that writers block, and working really hard on a chapter, and then opening an empty inbox. Sorry to whine like a mule...

Disclaimer: At this point, after having just spent the last week writing writing this chapter, litigation is the last thing on my mind. I dont own shit. Dont be an asshole, Mr. Cameron, I didn't infringe any of your copyrights, ya bastard. Dont sue me.

**Stone Cold Metal**

When the Toruk had descended through the murky haze, Neytiri had involuntarily assumed that the toxic combination of grief, despair, anger, and frustration had caused her to start seeing things….to start reliving her painful memories. As the winged giant had landed, Neytiri could feel the ground shake beneath her, but she still did not register or assume that anything she was seeing was real.

She had merely presumed that Odo'khal's death was the last trauma in a long series of agonizing ordeals that had finally caused her mind to tear at the seams, unable to bear the onerous burden of grief any longer.

The toruk had given a roar that had reverberated to the stars above and Neytiri had heard the tremendous sound and it only drove her further into her own mind. She associated that terrible sound with so many memories. She felt like she was back at the Tree of Souls, where Jake had descended out of the skies on the Toruk, to restore her faith in him and to rally them all to battle.

That had been long ago, and now she felt as if she was in some sort of depraved reversal of that memory.

Instead of the happiness she had felt upon seeing Jake, on the toruk, no less. She now only felt dread.

Instead of the warm sun that had shone upon them that afternoon, now she was trapped in a opaque world of shouting bodies, twisting and making their way through the fog. The fires burning bright against the lakeshore provided the only illumination.

The roar of the toruk reminded her of Jake, it reminded her of times and places far from the lakeshore she now stood upon.

Therefore, it seemed only natural to her, in her insanity, that a figure that resembled Jake should descend from the scaly back of its mount. She followed the figure with her eyes, waiting for its face to break through the swirling curtains of mist.

When the figure had taken a step forward, towards Tsu'tey, its features became clearer in the fog and firelight. Neytiri felt her heart twist and constrict. Why must her own deluded mind torment her with this apparition that looked so much like Jake? Why must she be forced to endure the sight of what she can never have again?

A few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, but her gaze never strayed from the figure that was now staring down Tsu'tey. Even if she was only reminded of her loss and grief at seeing a specter of Jake, she would suffer through it, just so she could see….one last time, what her heart desired the most, and yet, had no power to give her.

Neytiri naturally assumed that she was living, in this mirage, what she would clearly desire to have happen. She would want nothing more than for Jake to be alive once more, walking under the sun, his roguish smile and kind touch lightening her darkened world.

She would desire greatly for Jake to be alive and for him to here, just as this apparition of him was, challenging and fighting Tsu'tey. If Jake was alive, he would save them. Neytiri had no doubt in her mind that if Jake was not currently buried next to her father at Old Hometree, Tsu'tey would have never become the monster and tyrant the he had become.

Of course, if Jake had survived, none of her grief would have come to pass. Her life would not have been turned upside down and her world would not have undergone such upheaval.

Despite the dark tides of fortune that had washed away her old life, she now was transfixed by the figure that looked so much like Jake. She watched as the figure now was yelling something at Tsu'tey.

Strangely she could not hear the words being spoken….she only heard the low, pulsing throb of her own heartbeat.

What did it matter what was being said? This was merely a waking dream…..a vision, and she was merely waiting to surge back into the terrible reality of the situation at hand.

Suddenly, the presence she had felt only minutes before, when the tawtute canisters had started spewing smoke, flared back into the forefront of her mind. It had dulled and dimmed to a small form in her brain when she had seen the apparition of Jake appear from the mist.

Now, the presence throbbed inside her mind, turbulent in its presence. Neytiri opened her eyes, looking upon the face of the specter that stood upon the hill.

It was like Jake in appearance, but never before when Jake had been alive, had his features been more twisted in rage. The apparent anger was something that was very unlike Jake.

Tsu'tey was for some reason also acknowledging the specter. Though his words did not register in her ears, she sensed that he was shouting and pointing at the illusion of Jake's presence.

Three Kyllteyka tsamsiyu sprang forward and Neytiri followed them as they closed in on the phantom of the late Toruk Makto.

Somewhere deep within the twisted chambers of her grief sundered mind, Neytiri laughed at the notion of these three warriors thinking that they could harm the specter. She inwardly noted that this was truly a sign that her last bit of sanity had crumbled into the ruined pit of her mind.

Therefore, she was greatly surprised when the sharp screams of the Kyllteyka tsamsiyu reached her ears and pierce the mental fog that hung over her head, dimming her perception, not unlike the cloud of mist that swirled about the whole scene around her.

Like a grim burst of light breaking upon the wall of her mental prison, the screams of the injured tsamsiyu brought her mind stumbling forth out of the darkness, and she could only stare, open mouthed, at the three warriors, two of them lying upon the ground writhing and screaming, clutching at grisly wounds.

Her eyes flicked to two figures a short distance away, and she saw what she could not believe.

The figure that had seemed a specter in her delusional state, now stood forth, even in the darkness and fog, in undaunted clarity.

The grisly and intimidating sound of Jake pulling his sword loose of the third Kyllteykan's lifeless body was a knell.

Her mind began to surge and course in confusion.

She watched in shocked and shaken silence as Jake turned to face Tsu'tey once again.

The blatant, unbridled anger that had been so apparent on Jake's face before, when Neytiri had been sure of her untethering from reality, had now been reigned back into a look of cold fury. The same look that Jake had worn at the Tree of Souls, immediately following Grace's death.

Neytiri's mind reeled. Confusion reigned in her mind, but the presence she had felt earlier was still present, seething inside her mind, and slowly, but surely, her mind seemed to becoming lighter and less burdened by grief. She simply could not process what she was seeing.

Tsu'tey laughed.

Neytiri cringed at the sound, and her eyes shot to where Tsu'tey now stood.

He stood there, rage and frustration stamped clearly upon his face. His mouth opened and his hate was expressed in every word he let slip.

"Jakesully, I'm shocked to see you here….alive."

Suddenly, Neytiri's mind exploded with Jake's raucous laughter.

And then it hit her.

She was hearing Jake's inward response to Tsu'tey's words.

Jake was laughing arrogantly at Tsu'tey's insult.

How could it be…..

She knew this to be true, but the depth of the grief and mourning she had endured still gripped her mind and she simply could not fathom what she now was suddenly realizing to be true:

Jake was alive!

Though her mind still reeled in shock at this revelation, she felt the presence that had seemed to strange inside her mind, meld back into her own senses. She was feeling Jake through the bond…

Neytiri shut her eyes, as her brain worked furiously to decipher all of the profoundly shocking information she was receiving from her mind and her senses.

Jake was no longer some specter, he was a living, breathing entity that was now advancing upon Tsu'tey.

Jake was no longer buried at Old Hometree, next to her father….she was staring at him right now, and he did not flicker ad fade like a vision should, but he remained, present and solid in his presence and the wrath that seemed to be emanating from him.

Neytiri closed her eyes again, placing both hands on either side of her head, trying to wring out the fog that covered her brain.

She simply could not understand how this had come to be, how her mate, who had been dead, surely as she had unfortunately seen his lifeless body with her own eyes, had come back to them, and was now walking amongst his foes, alive and strong.

Neytiri's eyes flicked open and her gaze traveled back up to where Jake now faced Tsu'tey.

It was truly him, and as she took in the sight of the one person she had so longed to see, the final pieces of her brain fell into place.

She realized that at this moment, the details and seemingly unfathomable circumstances involving Jake's seeming resurrection did not matter.

The fact that remained, and the fact that rung out in Neytiri's mind was that Jake was miraculously alive, and he was back to finally defend himself and his tribe, to rescue them in their time of greatest need.

Suddenly, the strongest flood of emotion she had ever known swept over her. The dam on her confused and bottled emotions had ruptured and a torrent of happiness and shocked elation swept over her mind.

She had to go to him now. She had to touch him, and hold him in place, for even though she knew no that this was not a waking delusion, and that Jake was truly alive, she could not help herself from worrying that he was somehow going to be taken away again.

Her legs began to move forward.

A strong, vicelike grip enclosed her ankle, impeding her forward progress.

Her eyes shot down to her feet, a sudden burst of anger flashing across her mind. Nobody was going to stop her, not now….

Her anger vanished when she looked down to see Odo'khal's golden-green eyes staring back up at her. She stood there, once again seized by a state of shock.

Odo'khal's pale face cracked into the smallest of smiles, but soon was replaced by a grimace as he tried to move.

Neytiri immediately dropped to his side, still stunned. She reached down to where the arrow was protruding from Odo'khal's shoulder.

With great effort, he gently brushed her hand away.

"Don't touch it…I'll take it out when I get my strength back."

Neytiri sat there and took in Odo'khal's pale skin and sweaty brow, marveling that the giant was alive at all. Her confusion and shock were apparent as she tried to find the words to describe her stunned expression, but she failed, and only succeeded in stuttering and choking on the words she tried to release.

Odo'khal tried to chuckle at her expressions and loss for words, but the slight bit of happiness died into a pained gurgle. He coughed softly a couple of times before he regained his composure. He smiled slightly once more, having choked back the pain. Though his voice was slightly raspy and strained, Neytiri could not help but smile at his words.

"Princess….you see now that I did not deceive or mislead you. I have brought back to you what was most missed."

Though Neytiri could see the pain in his eyes, she watched as Odo'khal smile grew bigger.

"Toruk Makto has returned."

Neytiri's own smiled widened at Odo'khal's words and she felt a surge of fierce emotions, mainly happiness, rising within her.

Neytiri bit back her desire to question Odo'khal knew that Jake was still alive, and instead she reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow, and reached down to the small flask she kept on her belt.

She took out the wood stopper and held the small water skin over Odo'khal's mouth, gently draining the clear liquid into the giant's mouth.

Odo'khal swallowed greedily at the water, his eyes closing in the relief it gave to his pained and fevered body.

Once Odo'khal had had his fill, Neytiri pulled the flask back and replaced the stopper. She set the flask aside and turned to find her mother. She was surprised to find that Moat was standing right behind her, staring at Odo'khal.

Moat's eyes shifted to her daughter's. Neytiri saw within their depths, that her mother was suffering from the profound shock and confusion that she still felt. She also saw the happiness and hope that she was sure were mirrored by her own eyes.

Moat reached out and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. She smiled. Neytiri felt her mother's kindness and silent offering of hope, and she smiled in return.

Neytiri and her mother were torn from their silent reverie by the sound of shouting.

Neytiri stood to see Jake standing only a short distance from Tsu'tey, with a small black object held aloft in his hand. She peered through the darkness and fog, trying to determine exactly what was going on, as she had lost track of her surroundings upon finding out that Odo'khal was alive.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air, followed quickly by a shockwave that violently threw her off her feet.

Neytiri landed on her side, next to Odo'khal's prone form. She felt Odo'khal wrap one of his huge arms around her to shield her from the blast and the rain of dirt and debris that followed.

Neytiri felt the warm, soft dirt cascade gently across her skin as the small chunks rained from the sky.

She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision struggled to come into focus, and her ears were ringing.

Her mind was reeling and she was trying to make sense of what had just happened. She had been standing and then suddenly a monstrous fireball and thunder clap had erupted from the hillside and she had been thrown to the ground by the blast.

Neytiri felt the same, bitter taste of terror in her mouth as when she had run for her life in the destruction of Old Hometree. The same numb shock permeated her senses as it had then, also.

Slowly, but surely, her vision was restored in full, and the ringing in her ears was diminished, and her hearing was filled with the awful screams and shouts of the injured Kyllteyka.

Neytiri closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off the shock and confusion.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her shoulder. She struggled to sit up and turn.

Odo'khal was trying to get up, and he had brushed Neytiri's shoulder in his fevered attempts to do so. She could see that Odo'khal's efforts were causing him tremendous pain.

Neytiri was about to reach out and gently push him back down, but Moat suddenly swooped in and pushed a small pad of leaves into Odo'khal's mouth.

"Here, Odo'khal….eat these….they will work against the poison. They are the only thing I can give you until we make it back up to Hometree."

Neytiri looked back up at her mother, who was pale and grimfaced. She was obviously shaken by the explosion. Her voice was quavering slightly as she turned and spoke to her daughter.

"We have to get away from here, it was not safe before, but now…." Moat looked around, pausing to survey the chaos and suffering around her. She turned back to Neytiri before speaking.

"It is madness here."

Neytiri reached up and gripped her mother's shoulder, steadying herself. Her eyes became hard and her tone rigid.

"No…I cannot go. I have to find Jake."

Suddenly, she felt a flicker of anticipation inside her mind…inside the bond. She could feel it growing inside of her thoughts until it burned brightly in her mind.

She knew the powerful emotion was Jake's anticipation of seeing her again, and Neytiri shuddered as her heart ached in longing to find Jake and to actually hold him, to make sure he was really there, and not some demented figment of her imagination, tormenting her with his presence.

Slowly, Neytiri turned, still kneeling next to Odo'khal. Her eyes slowly swept the scene in front of her.

The confusion…

The carnage…

And then she saw him, standing there, not ten paces away, and when their eyes locked, her mind was inundated with a flood of emotions coming through the bond. Silently, and reverently, they watched each other.

In some darkest corner of Neytiri's mind, she was still worried and somewhat convinced that this was some sort of sordid delusion she was suffering, but when she saw the brilliant smile that broke out on Jake's face, all of her doubts were washed away.

He was truly there.

Right in front of her…alive, and waiting for her.

It seemed to Neytiri, that both of them were overcome with such joy and longing, that neither was able to move. They could only stare into each other's eyes.

Neytiri felt all the breath leave her body. She still doubted that her eyes were telling her the truth.

She could not admit to Jake being there, because if she suddenly woke up or came to, and he wasn't, it would tear the old wound of his death open anew. That was a risk she could not take. The pain was too much. She had already endured so much grief.

Months ago, she had resigned to her grief, and it had almost consumed her.

Now, the object of her sorrow and mourning stood before her, adorned in one of his brilliant lopsided smiles. Neytiri broke out into a smile of her own. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and a few tears stung at the corners of her eyes.

However, unlike many of the tears she had shed in the past few months, they were tears of happiness and shocked jubilation.

Though she wanted nothing more than to go to Jake, she felt as if her limbs had burn turned to stone. They refused the commands of her brain. She sat there, transfixed by her own stunned happiness.

She felt her chest constrict as she watched in anticipation as Jake took a step towards her, one of his arms slowly outstretching towards her….

"Seize him!"

Tsu'tey's harsh cry broke the spell between her and Jake, and she screamed his name, trying to warn him of the two Kyllteyka tsamsiyu that were coming up behind him. In her panic and worry, she jumped to assist him, but she felt her mother holding her back. She knew her mother was only trying to keep her out of harm's way.

She saw the happiness evaporate from Jake's face, and she watched in agonized clarity as Jake's features contorted in unadulterated fury when the two tsamsiyu laid hands on him. The fury that was so unlike him had returned to darken his usually light countenance.

Neytiri watched in grim fascination as Jake made short work of the two Kyllteyka. She grimaced as Jake took two punches, but he quickly flipped one over his back and broke the arm of the other with a powerful flick of his arms.

Jake did not turn back to Neytiri, and she saw that his rage had completely consumed him, turning his face into a mask of fury, and his smoldering gaze landed on Tsu'tey.

Jake began to advance upon Tsu'tey, his gaze never straying from his hated foe, his stride never faltering.

Tsu'tey began to retreat away from Jake, slowly backpedaling until his heels were being lapped at by the small waves breaking upon the shore of the lake.

It was then that Neytiri heard the words from Jake's mouth that felt like a slap across the face. Her mouth fell open once again in dumbfounded, horrified, shock.

"Tsu'tey you should have killed me properly…..you should have killed me when you had the chamce…"

Neytiri stood rooted to the spot, her mind racing through the events of the past few months, and when Tsu'tey responded to Jake, it all became clear.

"You're right, Jakesully, I should have made sure you died in that grave."

Tsu'tey had been responsible for Jake's 'death'.

Tsu'tey had 'killed' Jake.

Neytiri had known that Tsu'tey had become a tyrant and had used Jake's 'death' as a excuse to seize the position of olo'eyktan, but had she known the bitter truth….Tsu'tey would not have made it within ten strides of her before the edge of he knife would have been at his throat.

Neytiri felt the heat rise in her cheeks, as her mind became consumed with anger and frustration. Anger at Tsu'tey, but also anger at herself, for being so blinded with grief and mourning that she didn't see the truth. To her now, the truth seemed painfully obvious, and the thought that she had sat by and let Jake's murderer walk free amongst them made her heart plummet and her stomach to knot up.

She took a few deep breaths, realizing that she could do nothing about her past mistakes now, and that now was the time to focus on the incredibly perilous situation she was in.

Neytiri could not help but hope that this would all end here. As she watched Jake advance upon Tsu'tey, pushing him further and further into the water, Neytiri could not help but imagine the whole conflict coming to its resolution, with Tsu'tey penned in by the water.

Let him drown, she found herself inwardly pleading.

Jake challenged Tsu'tey, and Tsu'tey explained that they were going to end this right now.

If Neytiri had known that the harsh words Tsu'tey spoke in that cursed tongue would have summoned the Vyrkawng, she would have run to the lakeshore and drug Jake away from there by force.

If she had known the terror that lurked beneath the waves, she would have despaired and all hope would have left her.

When the vast, armored bulk of the Vyrkawng had risen, dripping, from the water, with Tsu'tey astride its horned head, she had felt a fear like she had never known.

Not only was she suddenly terrified of losing Jake again, as he stood alone upon the shore, facing the monster. She felt afraid at merely beholding a creature which she had only heard of in the most embellished fragments and tatters of old legends.

This was no figment of an elder's mind, bent on scaring young ones. This terror that she had been warned against was now a living, breathing entity, a nightmare alive in the waking world.

Neytiri wanted to scream out to Jake, tell him to run, tell him to hide, but when she went to yell, she found her mouth was dry.

Neytiri turned to her mother, who could only stare at the monster and point. Her words did nothing to bolster Neytiri's hope or courage.

"Eywa help us…it is the Vyrkawng….the Demon Worm!"

…

* * *

Jake now regretted having slept through several of Grace's seminars and lectures about Pandoran wildlife. Because he was pretty sure that he had definitely dozed off in the one about giant snake-like, predatory sea creatures.

Jake could only stand there upon the shore in a state of petrified shock as his head followed the creature's rising neck up and up as it continued to rise from the water.

Jake swore under his breath.

So much for the plan, Jake grimly mused. Somehow this utterly perilous situation reminded him of a memory of Tom and him talking about their lives together, and how Tom had sagely quipped:

"You know Jake, we Sullys' have got to strive to be the best, you being Force Recon and me being a top researcher…. .we have to work our asses off and depend on our skills, because lucks' got nothing to do with it…because we don't have any luck."

They had both laughed. Jake replied by saying that they had luck; it was just mostly bad luck.

Jack could not help but feel the sting of the truth of his words right now, facing a towering monster, where all he could do was pull his sword loose from its sheath, thought what he hoped to do with it against such gargantuan foe, he didn't know.

He quickly unstrapped his bow and quiver from his back, not being naïve enough to think that he was going to get off a shot that penetrate those thick, shielding scales.

For all the problems and troubles that come with human technology, there is not much he wouldn't have given at that moment for a Stryker or Bradley armored vehicle.

His mind was racing, trying to come up with some solution, and each idea that shot through his brain seemed wilder and more desperate from the last….all the while, Jake backed up slowly, distancing himself from the shore.

His mind flashed to his mount. He chanced a quick glance over his shoulder, and saw to his great displeasure, that the Toruk was not there.

Jake frowned, thinking that the Toruk must have taken off when the bomb had gone off.

As if sensing it's riders seeking thoughts, the Toruk let out a loud roar, and Jake's head shot up to see the Toruk circling high above the shore, fading in and out of the darkness, watching the proceedings on the shore with a fierce glare.

Jake tried to think, but he quickly came to unnerving and disconcerting conclusion that even the Toruk was outmatched by this fearsome creature. Thought the Toruk had the advantage of flight, the monster that Tsu'tey was now marshalling forward from the waves was far bigger in size to the Toruk, and its massive, undulating body was covered with what looked scales as hard as rock.

The scaly, amored creature rearing up before him was as black as the night that surrounded him and the the water glittered in the firelight as it fell in small rivulets from the heaving mass of the beast's great bulk.

Near to where Tsu'tey sat, the creature had two curving horns sticking out from either side of its head, pointing slowly downward in their curve, right next to crimson eyes that offered Jake a window into the power and iniquitous might that lurked beneath the slit like pupil.

In the dancing light of the now roaring fires, the hardened black scales of the creature gave off a dull sheen, and most of its terrific size was shadowed and cloaked in darkness and water.

Armored, all over…..massive in size…and at the beckon call of his worst enemy.

"Outstanding", Jake quipped to himself.

"JAKESULLY!"

At the sound of Tsu'tey's voice, Jake's eyes shot to where Tsu'tey sat behind the creature's head. In one of Tsu'tey's hands was a long, black tentacle-like appendage of the creature, and in his other hand was his own queue. Jake could only watch in morbid shock and disgust as Tsu'tey joined the two appendages together.

As soon as the two neural links were joined, Jake saw, to his dismay, the large, blazing red eyes shifting in their scaly sockets, eventually settling on him.

Jake locked eyes with the creature.

He felt his own fear gnawing at his own insides.

However, Jake also felt the fear of defeat….the fear of failure…gnawing at his insides and spurring him on. From some inner depth, he embraced that fear and siphoned it into focus and anger.

No more running….for whatever outcome, this had to end here…

Jake stopped backing up, and he brought both hands to grip the sword he now held out in front of him. He put both of his feet at shoulder width and planted them firmly into the dirt.

His relentless, smoldering stare echoed his silent challenge to Tsu'tey and his mount.

The creature gave a low, rumbling growl that became a searing hiss as it got louder.

Any lesser man or Na'vi could not have withstood such an intimidating spectacle, but Jake had now worked himself into a frothing state of anger and sheer will, a state that was far beyond rational action or decision.

In response to the primordial utterance of the creature, Jake swung the sword behind his head, posed, ready to strike.

The creature's eyes slitted, and it opened its mouth, letting forth its long, crimson, forked tongue and a mouth full of small, needle-like teeth.

Tsu'tey laughed openly at Jake's display of defiance. The din of his arrogant cackling broke the deathly silence of the whole scene, but only lending a more dissonant quality to the tension that permeated the air.

Tsu'tey slowed down to a smirking chuckle and pointed at Jake.

"Jakesully…..how you survived being poisoned and buried alive, I don't know…but it matters very little right now…..because, from where I'm sitting, you are very small and exposed. Your luck has carried this far, ketuwong, but I am thinking it has failed, and it will carry you no longer."

Jake cracked a wry smile born of the sheer absurdity of the moment.

"Funny….I was thinking the same thing."

Tsu'tey heard his words, and laughed, placing both hands under the creature's queue's and gripping them tightly.

He smiled an evil grin at Jake, flashing him an arrogant glare.

"Good, Jakesully! It is the mark of one who is truly courageous to laugh in the face of certain doom…I commend you for your valor. It is a shame to have to destroy something so tough and fearless….but a pleasurable one at that…I'm going to enjoy killing you…again."

Tsu'tey paused, looking almost thoughtful in his malice. He titled his head down and looked at Jake, almost as if considering him in a new light. When he spoke again, his voice was less smug and more sinister.

"Jakesully, you have no idea how perilous your situation is…..you being ketuwong scum, you would not know of the tales that the People whisper in fear and awe…these tales concern a great being from when the world was young."

Tsu'tey paused once more, taking one of his hands and placing it atop the creature's head, and Jake could see him mouthing silent words to the beast. He looked back down at Jake, and once more a glint of a malicious smirk crossed his face as he spoke.

"A creature far superior to your or my kind, she has powers you cannot fathom…..and she is willing to lend her terrible might to those willing to pay the price…you cannot know the power, O Great Toruk Makto, that she wields, and some of that power I now bear."

The creature gave a savage hiss, lowering its lower jaw, and letting a small trail of saliva dribble down off of its plated maw.

"Jakesully, she is getting impatient, and I have very little sway over her…her name is Mushirruh, and It is testament to your peril that her very name does not make you run in utter terror. You don't know what you are facing….you should be very afraid right now, Jakesully, for very soon…you will be very dead."

Jake merely gripped his sword harder, disregarding the majority of Tsu'tey's words as arrogant blabber, and he spent his focus in favor of watching the swaying head of Mushirruh, analyzing the flickering malice in her piercing red eyes.

Tsu'tey raised his hand towards Jake, in mockery of a friendly gesture.

"Jakesully, Toruk Makto, and once olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya…..your name will be remembered by none and the mate that you stole from me shall become mine once again and your own child will call me 'simpul'…you have nothing but your miserable life, and shortly, I will take that from you as well…..Farewell."

Jake braced, for he knew what was coming next.

Tsu'tey gripped both queues once more, wrapping his hands in tight. Still staring at Jake, his eyes full of malevolence, he commanded Mushirruh.

"Feast on his ketuwong flesh…"

There was a low tremor that ran through the ground, as Mushirruh raised her head back, bunched her steely coils…..and then pounced forward, driving her slithering bulk straight out of the water and onto the lakeshore.

Before Jake could barely move, he was surrounded on one side by Mushirruh's body, and her head was now behind him. He pivoted on one foot to come around and face her, angry at himself for being unprepared for this trick.

He turned to see Mushirruh glaring down at him, her red eyes slitted and her forked tongue flitting in and out of her mouth.

Jake raised his sword, holding it ready, and bunching his muscles, ready for anything she might try.

He was rewarded for his effort by a swinging blow into his back that knocked him completely off of his feet. With the wind knocked out of him, Jake lay there in the soft sand of the shore, gasping for breath and cursing as he rolled over and saw Mushirruh's tail hovering over where he lay.

He had turned his back on her tail, and she had pummeled him with it.

Jake took as good of a breath as he could with his aching lungs and got up as fast as he could. He shook his head and got back into a fighting stance, once again, facing her headon, watching her yes for his cue.

Mushirruh's eyes were trained on Jake, but when they flitted suddenly over his head, he knew that was his cue to roll forward, as she was sending another crushing tail swipe his way.

He suddenly pitched forward into a roll, and as he tumbled in the sand, he could hear and feel the wind of the massive tail as it missed him by a small distance. Thinking fast, he quickly righted himself into a fighting stance.

She lunged, her teeth gleaming in the firelight and her eyes alight with a light of triumph as her head raced down to strike.

Jake pivoted on one foot and swerved to one side as Mushirruh's head swept past him, jaws agape. Completing his pivot, Jake brought his sword across at chest level in a fierce slash, scoring a long gash down the length of Mushirruh's lower jaw.

Her reaction was instantaneous.

Mushirruh's massive, flat head reared up and perched up on its long, craning neck. Tsu'tey gave a bellow of rage and Jake could a veritable flame enter the creature's eyes. The essence of pure hatred existed within that crimson orb, and its intensity was focused completely on him.

Jake cracked a grim smirk and held his sword behind his head, ready for her next strike. He had the distinct feeling that nobody had landed a injury like that upon her in quite a long time. He knew that Mushirruh's first few blows had been her trying to have fun with him, like a cat would with a mouse, but now he knew that with the wound he had just given her, her next blow would be to kill.

He prepared himself.

He feels and hears it when she lifts her long tail out of the sand, and acting on instinct, he dives into a sideways roll. He is thrown about as Mushirruh slams her tail down where Jake had been seconds before, and he can hear her hiss of rage when he dodges out of the way.

Jake rights himself on the ground, getting into a kneeling position, turning quickly as he senses her raising her tail above his head again.

Jake's ears involuntarily pinned back against his skull in mortified surprise as a sharp, rapier-like, bony spike protruded from a small hole on each side of the tip of Mushirruh's tail.

She swished her tail dangerously about, and Jake's eyes flitted about in his skull, his head turning constantly, trying to keep watch on her now very deadly tail and her supremely lethal jaws.

He could not let his guard down on either one. The second he focused on one too long, she would strike at his back with the other. She dangled her spiky tail above Jake's head, and he knew that she was trying to distract him with it so she could swoop in from behind and chomp him.

Mushirruh let out a vicious hiss and snapped her head forward, as if she was about to lunge.

Jake, reacting on instinct, could not ignore this jab, and he whipped about to face her, immediately realizing his mistake. He quickly dodged to the right and whipped around again in time to see the side of her massive bulk flying through the air as she swung it at him. Jake swung out and landed a blow on her side.

Immediately he wished he hadn't. In addition to having done absolutely no damage to her at all, for the armored scales were like steel, Jake retracted his arm and gritted his teeth as painful vibrations reverberated through his hands and body from the blow.

He swallowed the pain and quickly refocused his attention back on the circling Mushirruh.

There was an evil glint in her eye, something more like sinister amusement…she was mocking him for his pathetic attempt at striking at her.

Jake reassumed his vigil, swiveling his head to watch both her head and tail, and he soon found himself pacing a small circle in the sand as the giant monster circled him.

Suddenly, Jake came to a alarming conclusion...

She was closing the circle.

Jake suddenly found himself surrounded on almost all sides by Mushirruh's slithering, gliding mass. Only one opening remained between her head and the spike tail that looped back around behind him.

Jake began to move towards the opening, his sword raised.

Mushirruh once again lunged down at Jake, and he anticipated the distance, swinging out at her snout. She stopped short upon seeing the swinging blade, rearing her head back out of range. Jake followed through with the stroke, using the momentum to turn himself for only a second to make sure her tail wasn't about to come crashing down on him.

In that second that he had his back turned, and as he was turning back around, Mushirruh bunched her coils and moved her great scaly bulk sideways in an undulating motion.

The momentum of whipping her tail through the motion carried right through as her upper tail slammed into Jake, sending him flying through the air, and knocking his sword from his hands, far away from the shore.

Once again, Jake found himself extremely short of breath from such an impact, and his chest ached immensely.

The pain caused a momentary lapse in his vigilance.

He paid for it…dearly.

The pain in his chest was replaced with an explosion of agony in his right shoulder as Mushirruh slammed her tail down on top of him, spike first.

The spike went straight through Jake's shoulder, puncturing straight through to the other side and pinned him to the ground.

In addition to his own gasps of pain, Jake could hear voices, thought distant they seemed.

He heard Tsu'tey cackling in what seemed like cruel triumph, while this was directly juxtaposed with Neytiri crying out his name in fear and despair.

Jake's eyes shot up to where Mushirruh's evil head hung directly above him. He could smell her vile breath as it flared out from her nostrils. He could sense the air of decay and rot that surrounded her skin. He could feel the malice in her very touch, as her tail twinged, painfully twisting the spike impaling his shoulder.

He involuntarily cried out in pain as the spike grated against his bone.

And for a fleeting moment, Jake felt like there was nothing else he could do….that he had failed, and that the only thing left for him to do was to do…to be defeated.

How could he come to victory against such a foe vastly more powerful than himself?

Jake closed his eyes against the pain, and swept away the thoughts of defeat, steeling himself for the move he was about to make.

Jake reached for his knife and drew it from his sheath on his chest.

Taking careful aim, Jake drove the knife as hard as he could, both hands upon the bottom of the hilt, upwards into the small crack between the spike and the orifice it retracted into.

Though the knife did not go far, it did strike some sort of nerve, for upon feeling it penetrate the small crack in her hide, Mushirruh gave a sharp roar of pain and she began to instinctively twitch and move her tail.

Jake knew that the pain of having the spike jiggled around in his wound by her moving tail was a price he had to pay for sticking her with is knife. However, he didn't desire to hurt her so much as convince her to yank on her tail hard enough to pull the spike from his body and therefore, unpin him from the ground.

It seemed, though, that Mushirruh had slammed her tail down with such force that the spike was somewhat wedged into the ground, for no matter how much she yanked on it, it would not come out.

Jake sighed and closed his eyes, trying to work through the pain as it pulsated in needle sharp jabs throughout his chest, which was heaving with exertion and he felt his strength dwindling while his pain mounted.

At first, he thought the pain was making him delusional when he thought he heard a throaty roar coming from behind him.

A roar that definitely belonged to a Na'vi…

Jake sensed pounding footfalls from behind were he now lay and suddenly his vision was filled with Odo'khal standing over him, swinging his sword at Mushirruh, his mouth open in a ferocious battlecry and his eyes wide with pain and madness.

There was a splintering sound, and a quick flash of pain, and then Jake found himself looking at the spike protruding from his shoulder, but strangely, there was no massive, scaly tail attached to it.

Jake looked up to see Odo'khal standing in front of him, with his sword raised against a menacing and very angry Mushirruh.

The giant creature was gnashing her teeth in a powerful snapping motion, and her eyes glittered with untold ire. Her fury and hatred were now focused on Odo'khal, but the giant Na'vi warrior stood his ground on shaky legs.

Jake's eyes flicked to end of Mushirruh's tail, where there was a small, frayed nub of bone where Odo'khal had severed the spike from the tail.

Jake mustered all of his strength and braced himself before reaching up and grabbing onto the remainder of the spike with both hands.

He had to act quickly; despite the pain…..he had to help Odo'khal.

He gave the bony protuberance a hard yank, gritting his teeth as the spike pulled back through the wound, popping out only after a supreme effort.

Once the spike was out, Jake cast it aside and gave his right arm an exploratory twist. As his arm rolled in its socket, Jake could feel pain, but his movement was barely restricted.

He quickly deduced that he had been very lucky and that the spike had been a puncture wound, piercing all of the flesh right below his shoulder and missing all of the bone and joints.

As Jake quickly stood up, he felt a warm, almost sticky substance run down his chest, and he looked down to the wound to see a small rivulet of his own blood running down the right side of his chest and torso.

The sight of his own blood only made him more furious and determined to vanquish Tsu'tey and this Mushirruh creature. He bent down and quickly scooped up a handful of wet sand and smeared it across his wound, an ancient tactic for covering and sealing wounds when there was no proper dressing to be had.

Jake heard a terrific rumbling sound that caused the ground to shake, and he turned around just in time to see Mushirruh rush forward in a charge.

Odo'khal stood there, with Jake's sword raised, ready to strike.

Jake wanted to call out to Odo'khal, to tell him it was a ruse, a fake charge….but too late.

Mushirruh backed out of the lunge at the last second, with Odo'khal's full attention focused on facing down the charge….that's when she lunged with her tail and the remaining spike, hoping that she could impale Odo'khal just as she had done to Jake.

Jake was about to yell out to Odo'khal, when to his surprise, Odo'khal, just as he had done, pivoted on one foot and used his momentum to bring down a chopping strike on the near end of Mushirruh's tail, just above where her remaining spike attached to the tail..

Jake watched in amazement as Odo'khal's huge frame put all of its considerable force into a crushing blow, punching right through the scaly plates with the serrated teeth of the sword, and severing the end of Mushirruh's tail completely.

Mushirruh gave an almighty roar, her head rearing up and her coils thrashing, with the stump of her tail flailing about, oozing a thick, black blood that leaked onto the sand below, staining it.

Her long forked tongue flitted out between her teeth, and Jake could see that Tsu'tey was mouthing something to her, and then a malicious grin spread across Tsu'tey's face. A low, sinister hiss escaped from between the formidable jaws of Mushirruh, and suddenly Jake caught a new glint of peril in the way that she was eyeing Odo'khal.

Jake looked to Odo'khal, and he groaned at what he saw.

It was apparent that the poison was still at work in Odo'khal's veins, and how he had mustered the strength to get up and fight was beyond Jake, but it must have been a colossal effort, for it was painfully obvious to Jake that the effort expended was taking its toll on the giant.

Odo'khal tried to stand in a fighting stance, with the sword held at the ready, but one his large legs was shaking violently….and then suddenly, it collapsed from beneath him. He tried to stay standing, but eventually fell into a sort of kneeling position, his eyes never leaving those of Mushirruh's.

Jake had to do something…..

Frantically, he looked about in desperation for something that would suit his purpose…..he could not fight this creature with brute strength alone.

Mushirruh began to slither forward and Jake no longer had any time left to think….he had to act.

Without any rational thought, he charged forward, grabbed his sword from Odo'khal's weakening hands, and held it aloft, threateningly to the approaching Mushirruh.

He gave a challenging yell and he felt his pain dwindle as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

"C'mon, you fucking son a bitch! Face me! Sure you can eat him, but he can't barely stand….why don't you try me on for size! I've still got some fight left in me…"

Tsu'tey laughed once more at Jake, and he peered his head over top of the flat length of Mushirruh's head.

"I already told Odo'khal I was going to kill him….so Im just keeping my promise to him, you see? You wouldn't want me to have to break my word? Besides, you speak too soon Jakesully…..soon you will be wishing that he had never interfered, and that he had left you to be killed outright…but Mushirruh has just informed me that for wounding her and defying her, she will now make your dying slow and very gruesome…limb by limb."

Jake never flinched, and when Tsu'tey finished, he spit in the sand, showing no sign of fear at Tsu'tey words. He could see the evil smirk still planted on Tsu'tey's face and the lurking malice in Mushirruh's eyes as she sat, raised upon her long neck, observing them as if they were flies caught in a net, and she was a spider, wondering what to do with her prey.

Jake briefly looked over his shoulder to see Odo'khal, still kneeling, behind him, holding his sides and breathing heavily.

"Hey Odo?"

Odo'khal looked up at Jake questioningly, and Jake caught his eyes briefly before turning back around to make sure Mushirruh wasn't trying anything.

"Well, I want to say that this doesn't look good for us…it looks pretty bad actually….and I don't how much time we have left before that overgrown worm gets tired of playing with us and she decides to just outright kill us."

Jake glanced back over his shoulder and cracked a wry smile at Odo'khal who furrowed his brow worryingly, looking at Jake as if he was insane.

"At least we're doing a right old job of pissin' her off."

Odo'khal broke into the tiniest of grins, not being able to hold back a tiny chuckle in Jake's absurd ability to find humor in such a situation.

"Jake, we are facing almost certain death and yet you laugh about it as if you're off gathering berries in the forest."

Jake's grin fade as he turned back to face Mushirruh, and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, a human gesture that Odo'khal nonetheless understood.

"Well Odo…there's not much I can do about all this, so there's not much point in complaining."

Jake paused, his ears pricking up, and his attention was drawn to Mushirruh, whose gaze was locked onto the pair in the sand below her, and she began to slither slowly forward.

"Get ready Odo, here she comes…"

Jake's head quickly turned to the left and to the right, and then he looked to where Mushirruh sat. Then, to Odo'khal's surprise, a knowing look entered Jake's eyes and a small grin creased his lips. His voice was low, but confident as he gave directions to Odo'khal without turning away from the advancing Mushirruh.

"New plan, Odo…..when I say 'go', you run as fast as you can that way" He pointed with the tip of the sword.

"And I will go this way" He pointed in the opposite direction with the blade.

Odo'khal followed the direction of the sword and his eyes came to rest on two objects lying in the sand. Suddenly recognition dawned upon him.

Jake's bow and quiver…..

Odo'khal opened his mouth to speak, but Jake, somehow sensing his imminent protest, stomped his foot and said in a firm tone.

"Just do it, ok? Trust me….I've got a plan."

Odo'khal didn't like that sound of that, but nonetheless bunched his muscles and mustered his remaining strength for the sprint.

Mushirruh began to move faster, as if she sensed that her prey was trying to elude her.

Jake tensed, and his swordpoint dropped as he dodged to the right, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"GO!"

Both Odo'khal and Jake sent sand flying as they shot in different directions.

Odo'khal, with chest heaving in exertion, ran back towards where Neytiri, Moat and the whole horde of Kyllteyka stood watching the confrontation with great interest and awe.

Jake, pounded as fast as he could towards the water, towards where he had dropped his bow and quiver. He had to make it as quick as he could…..the whole fate of this battle depended upon it. He could see his bow and quiver lying in the sand, and put on an extra burst of speed with a terrific effort.

The ruse was simple, but effective, and when both Na'vi shot in different directions, Mushirruh reared back in surprise, and her head turned this way and that, trying to follow each of her victims as they sped in different directions.

She was trying to decide which one to go after. Tsu'tey gave a angry cry of frustration and pointed to Jake, running towards the water.

"Forget the other one, he will die soon enough from the poison…..kill the ketuwong! Kill the tawtute scum! The others will fall when he is dead! Finish him!"

Without stopping, Jake slid in the sand, grabbing his bow and quiver and scrambling up almost in one fluid motion. He could hear Tsu'tey's harsh words ring out behind him and he did not need to hear them clearly to know that Murshirruh would soon be coming after him in a matter of seconds.

Each second counted.

Jake quickly glanced up to see Tsu'tey pointing at him and Mushirruh beginning her charge, driving her vast bulk into the sand, creating a large track in the loose soil as she slithered forward with powerful movements of her long, scaly body.

He would only get one shot…

Jake drew the long, black arrow from his quiver and removed the leather sheath that he had placed over the tip. The vicious, razor sharp tip glinted in the bright orange glow of the firelight.

Without hesitation, he notched the long arrow to the string of his bow, and brought his bow up to aim.

Mushirruh was only a short distance away now, and Jake could feel the ground rumble under his feet as she closed in. He raised the bow and pulled back the string, using all of his strength to bring the arrow back as far back as he could pull.

At the sight of Jake drawing his bow against her, Mushirruh gave a roar of rage and redoubled the speed of her charge, opening her jaws wide in menace and defiance, her needle-like teeth shining dully in the fire glow. She was now practically hammering the ground beneath her coils as she raced towards Jake, her slithering movements frenzied and whipping.

When she opened her mouth to roar, that was the chance Jake had been hoping for. He closed his right eye and took careful aim…..and then let the taut bowstring snap forward, sending the vicious shaft on its course.

When the arrow slammed into the roof of her mouth, Mushirruh, acting out of surprise and instinct, halted in her tracks and snapped her mouth shut quickly, thereby driving the barbed shaft deeper into her flesh by her own force. It was an unconscious mistake, one made merely out of instinctual reaction to an intruding irritant.

By pushing the arrow further into her own tissue, the Sarin nerve agent only had to travel but a short distance through her capillaries and blood vessels before it reached the brain….. where it caused catastrophic damage to her nerve functions.

All in all, it took about ten seconds for the nerve agent to take effect and for Mushirruh to begin writhing around in extremely violent spasms that tore up the ground beneath her and send sand flying everywhere.

Jake watched in grim satisfaction as the huge monster thrashed about, gurgling in pain and anguish. He watched the evil in her eyes transform into panic and fear, and a froth began to develop at the edges of her mouth, spewing out onto the sand, laced with little flecks of her black blood.

So much was the turmoil of her death throes, that Tsu'tey was thrown from her back, disconnecting the tsayhalu by force. He let out a scream of rage and pain as the nueral connection was severed violently and he was knocked through the air by her thrashing bulk.

He landed in a crumpled heap near where Odo'khal now stood, having stopped to watch Jake's last stand. Tsu'tey didn't move…he just lay there.

He was out cold…..

Just as well, Jake thought.

Finally, Mushirruh gave one last thrashing spasm and then her great length fell to the sand, where she took several shuddering breaths, and then let out one rasping sigh. Her eyes glazed over, and her tongue lolled out from between her slightly parted jaws, where a trickle of blood ran out onto the sand.

No matter the size of the creature, if you can't breathe, then that's it. You're dead…and that's exactly what killed Mushirruh….death by asphyxiation. The Sarin inhibited nervous functions that regulated breathing and caused other nervous functions to go completely haywire, so in essence, many motor and nervous functions are being carried out at once within the body, thereby preventing proper air intake.

Jake stood there, breathing heavily, slightly shocked that his plan had actually worked. He watched Mushirruh's prone form, as if expecting her to shoot up at any moment, alive and strong as ever.

But she didn't….she stayed dead, and Jake let out a deep sigh. He strapped his bow and quiver across his back, and went to where he had dropped his sword. He picked it up out of the sand and held it ready, for he suddenly realized that he had just killed the monster only to face the remnants of the Kyllteyka horde.

Jake swore under his breath.

He was developing a plan to deal with the rest of the horde, and he decided he needed the Toruk's help. He walked to the other side of Mushirruh's body, and he looked up to see the firelight flint off of hundreds of eyes staring at him. He could see some of their faces, and they were filled with terrified awe and fear.

The Kyllteyka had already regarded Jake as a mighty warrior, after he had descended from the skies and set of the huge explosion that had killed a third of their army. Now, after having seen him kill the Mushirruh, the seemingly invincible demon that had caused so much death and destruction amongst their people, now, they regarded him as nothing short of death incarnate.

Jake noticed some of them backing away from him as he walked towards them, sword drawn.

Jake failed to notice when Tsu'tey rose from where he had lain, seemingly unconscious, in the sand. With an uncanny burst of agility and speed, Tsu'tey charged up the bank to where Neytiri and Moat stood.

In one fluid motion he drew his knife and swung it in a slash at chest level, landing a long gash down Moat's cheek.

Moat fell back, yelling and clutching at her face.

Neytiri, caught off guard by the surprise move, did not move to defend herself in time. Tsu'tey quickly brushed aside her first blow, blocked her second one, and then grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. He turned her and grabbed her queue in one hand, while bringing his knife to her throat with the other.

As soon as Jake heard Neytiri's yelp, he knew something had gone drastically wrong. He quickly turned around, just in time to see Tsu'tey twist her around and bring the knife blade to rest against her throat.

Without even thinking, he was flying in a flat out run until he found himself standing less than twenty paces from where Tsu'tey is holding Neytiri.

Tsu'tey's eyes locked with Jake, and his face broke into a snarl.

"I wish Mushirruh had eaten you Jakesully, but you saved me some trouble, as I would have had to kill her myself eventually. She was too powerful to be dominated or reigned in. I must admit, I underestimated you….you truly are a warrior, for only such a warrior as yourself could have defeated something as mighty as the Black Queen."

Jake said nothing in response, not moving, trying to keep his churning rage under control, and he was too afraid that one sudden movement would cause Tsu'tey to do something violent. Tsu'tey yanked harder on Neytiri's queue, bringing her closer.

Neytiri gave a small whimper, and Jake's mouth twitched as he tried to withhold a snarl. Tsu'tey saw this and let out a snarl of his own, showing his gleaming teeth.

"You have been nothing but a bane to my existence since you came to my world, Jakesully…you have brought only death and misery with you…So now it's time I repay you for it" He paused and brought the blade tighter against Neytiri's throat. He looked up and saw Jake's fingers grip his sword handle until they were white.

"Drop the weapons or she dies here and now…."

Jake lets out a fearsome growl, his ears pinned back against his skull. His eyes seethed with pure vitriol…..but he knew he was without options, and without hesitating any longer, he threw his sword into the dirt, and unstrapped his knife, bow and quiver, letting them drop to the ground.

His fear and anger were raging a vicious internal battle within him. He wanted nothing more than have five minutes alone with Tsu'tey…..no weapons….hand to hand combat…no interruptions.

However, there was a part of Jake that was absolutely petrified at the moment…that part of Jake was screaming that the dream…..the horrible nightmare he had had back on that cliff at the edge of the sea, that it was coming true, it was all falling into place.

The other part of Jake held, and just as firmly he asserted to himself that he was not going to let the events of the dream become reality…he was not going to sit here and watch while Neytiri died. He was going to end this…

Jake raised his hand, seemingly as if to calm Tsu'tey, and his voice came out firm and calm, but underneath its seemingly cool surface, his tone was full of righteous anger.

"Tsu'tey…I'm giving you one last chance…..I'm giving you one more chance than I should…put down that knife and take your soldiers and leave. You can go where you want, I won't stop you, but if you don't take that knife from her throat, I promise you that you won't make it out of here alive."

Tsu'tey let out a low hiss and jerked Neytiri's head, his own voice filled with frustration and hatred.

"No! You listen to me, Jakesully…..you have one chance to save her! Either you take your sword and plunge it into your worthless guts or I'm going to draw this blade nice and slow across her neck…I will see you die tonight, by your own hand, or by mine…..but the only way she will live…is if you die."

Jake swallowed, but kept his cool, still holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

It was then that the primal roar of the Toruk filled the air, shattering the dark tranquility that had fallen upon the shore. The toruk roared again, but this time, the terrifying sound was followed by a veritable chorus of battle cries and war chants.

Both Tsu'tey's and Jake's heads shot up to see the Toruk descending out of the dark skies, speeding in a dive, aiming directly for the main mass of Kyllteyka tsamsiyu.

Flanking the Toruk on either side were the seventy ikran makto that Jake had commanded.

As they sped downward into the dive, they peeled off and spread out in a flying 'v' formation, leveling off as they got closer and closer to the ground. As the descended further, Jake could see that each one of the makto had their bow drawn, with a shaft notched to the string. On a signal from the lead huntress, Ska'ra, they let loose a vicious barrage of arrows on the main body of the horde.

The panic stricken Kyllteyka tried to run, stumbling and tripping over each other in their haste to flee the hellish rain of arrows, and many of them fell, transfixed by flying death.

The toruk gave one last scream of might and rage before slamming into the ground at almost full speed, crushing three Kyllteyka beneath its bulk and fearsome talons. With lightning speed, the massive winged predator reached out with its long neck and snapped up a screaming Kyllteyka tsamsiyu, biting him in half in one swift snap of its powerful jaws.

The night air became thick with the screams of the panicked and the dying, and chaos spread throughout the horde.

Neytiri saw that Tsu'tey was distracted by the attacking ikran makto. She did the only thing she could do…..she put one of her elbows right into Tsu'tey's stomach and then grabbed the arm that was holding the knife to her throat and bit it…very hard.

Tsu'tey doubled over slightly from the impact of Neytiri's elbow jutting into his gut, and then he let out a screech of pain as Neytiri's sharp teeth sunk into the flesh of his forearm. He tried to yank his hand free but Neytiri had bit too deeply and held on. With a tremendous effort and a bellow of anger and pain, Tsu'tey managed to pull his arm from Neytiri's grip.

In his anger, he brought the butt end of his knife crashing down on Neytiri's unprotected head.

Neytiri crumpled to the ground.

…

* * *

Some of the braver Kyllteyka made a stand, trying to fend off the toruk with their spears. The toruk made a quick charge forward, and buffeted several of them with its wings, sending them flying through the air. The others were too shocked to move, and only fled when the toruk snatched another one of them in its terrible jaws.

At the sound of their comrade's piercing death cry cut horribly short by the toruk's jaws snapping shut, the rest of the Kyllteyka fled, trying to make their way back up the hill, back towards Hometree.

Many of the other Kyllteyka saw their fellow tsamsiyu fleeing and felt that it was prudent to do the same. None of them wanted to stay and face the warrior who would not die, or any of the grim faced creatures of his command. Many of them scrambled up the hill, hoping to flee from the Toruk and the ikran makto, who were sending a storm of arrows down on them as they fled.

The Kyllteyka were single minded in their fear and they did not stop to gather their dead or help those struck by arrows, they fled, hoping merely to survive this night.

The forerunners of the retreat were flattened by Nguvo and his hundred tsamsiyu charging over the crest of the hill to meet the battle, mounted on their pa'li.

The Kyllteyka were no match for heavily armed, mounted warriors. Many were simply trampled beneath the pounding hooves of the pa'li. The others that were unfortunate enough to get in the way were cut down by arrows or the long lances that Nguvo and his warriors carried.

All sides of battle were joined when Norm and Var'ya charged in on the western edge of the lake with Anat'so and her warriors, while F'yukan, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut led the rest of the Omaticaya tribe from the edge of the trees on the eastern shore, charging them against the Kyllteyka ranks

The Omaticaya saw their chance, their one true chance to overthrow their oppressors. Their faces were grim and determined. They were fighting for their homes and freedom, while the Kyllteyka fought with the desperation of survival and the bitterness of having a seeming victory snatched from them.

The horde was now flanked on all sides, with their enemies pressing in around them, driving them in a rout. Chaos reigned amongst the ranks of the Kyllteyka, as there were so many attacks and new threats coming from all different directions, many did not know where to turn. Dozens were cut down by projectiles, as they milled about in confusion, simply too stunned at the turn of events to either run or fight.

The bravest of them looked for the best place to either make a stand or where the weakest place in the enemy line was, the easiest place that they could make a charge and punch a hole through, breaking the constricting flanking movement they were now trapped in.

However, many of the smaller and more timid of the horde were unwilling to go face to face with the Omaticaya, the people they had wronged and treated as slaves, or Nguvo's mounted warriors. These tsamsiyu were looking for an escape…..an escape that didn't require a charge through the ranks of their enemies. The only clear avenue of escape for the Kyllteyka was the lake that lay at their backs.

Like a crumbling piece of earth, a large chunk of the Kyllteyka horde pulled away from the base of the hill, and made a dash back for the lake, and their original camp. As one swarming sea of bodies, they bullied and pushed at each other to be the first one in the retreat, to be the farthest from their foes, to be the farthest from the sharp lances and piercing arrows of their enemies.

One of the larger and burlier of the Kyllteyka tsamsiyu watched as a large portion of his fellow warriors made a panic stricken retreat to the show below them.

The warrior watched them fleeing, his disgust and rage apparent as he spat in the dirt and wrenched his spear loose from the body of a pa'li warrior he had skewered. He surveyed his surroundings and ducked quickly as an arrow flew over his head, tickling the hair on his head…and taking out another tsamsiyu who had been standing directly behind him.

He gritted his yellowed teeth and let out a roar of rage. He commanded a dozen of his fellow tsamsiyu to follow him, and they charged a small group of the Omaticaya who had been separated from their main force. They surrounded the small group, with their spears faced inward, menacing the five or six Omaticaya, who were very young and inexperienced by the looks of it.

The warrior was just about to give to the order to finish them off, when a guttural roar filled his ears. He barely had time to register what was happening before three of his attacking group were dead.

Odo'khal had charged in amongst the Kyllteyka, trying to save the young Omaitcaya taronyu from being butchered. Though the poison was still causing Odo'khal bouts of weakness and fatigue, he had the strength enough to fight. After whipping his knife out and quickly running it through the nearest Kyllteyka, he grabbed the spear off of the dead enemy and charged into the group that had the young warriors surrounded.

In one slash of his knife, one of the Kyllteyka fell to his knees, clutching at the gash across his stomach that was now bursting forth with blood and entrails. Odo'khal followed the knife stroke with a lightning swift stab from the spear, lodging it in the throat of a second Kyllteyka tsamsiyu, who fell back, clutching at gurgling at the stone blade lodged in his throat.

One of the Kyllteyka, quicker than the others, jabbed his spear at Odo'khal, nicking him on the forearm. Odo'khal grabbed the spear as his attacker tried to pull it back. He yanked the spear to him, with the Kyllteyka still holding firm to the other end. When he got both of his hands around the unfortunate tsamsiyu's neck, he gave a swift but powerful twisting motion.

The tsamsiyu crumpled to the ground, his head facing around backwards…..his eyes unseeing but still wide open and his mouth frozen in an expression of fear.

The burly Kyllteyka warrior called in for more reinforcements to face the giant Omaticaya warrior. Many of the Kyllteyka, however, were deathly afraid of the giant, after having witnessed the awesome strength and deadly skill that he possessed. None were too eager to end up like their three companions that he had just so easily slaughtered, or like G'harku and his command before them.

Odo'khal was crouched in a fighting stance, eyeing his foes, who had now surrounded him, their spears pointed inward, threatening and prodding at him.

Odo'khal had succeeded in his attempt. The attention had been diverted to him and off of the group of young Omaticaya, who had escaped back to the main ranks of Anat'so's warriors.

He did not even consider that his success now meant that he was up against at least thirty Kyllteyka….singlehanded. It didn't matter…the madness of battle was in him, and he relished the opportunity.

Without any rational thought or plan, he gave a howl of grim delight and plunged headlong into the line of Kyllteyka warriors, scattering them and bowling them over.

He took a spear blade to the side and to the shin, but he merely plucked them out like they were an annoyance or irritation, rather than serious wounds.

Wielding his knife and a long lance that one of Nguvo's warriors had thrown him, he jabbed, thrusted, stabbed, hacked, slashed, and skewered as many Kyllteyka that he could reach. After killing seven of the force that surrounded him, he turned to see the burly warrior, one of the largest of the Kyllteyka, standing out in front of the rest of his troops, holding a spear and a knife.

The large Kyllteyka said several harsh words in tongue, but Odo'khal needed no translation. This enemy wanted single combat.

Odo'khal glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was not going to be swarmed from behind, and then turned back to face the brazen warrior. As he turned he barely had time to register the movement in his peripheral vision of the warrior throwing his knife.

Odo'khal ducked on instinct and tried to avoid the flying blade, but not completely in time, and the knife, in its deadly twisting and turning, scalped most of his left ear from his head, leaving a bleeding stump pivoting wildly on his skull.

Odo'khal gave no cry of pain or distress, he merely stood, put his hand to where the entirety of his left ear had once been and gingerly felt the swiveling stump and the blood now dribbling down the side of his head.

The giant Na'vi looked up at his attacker.

The Kyllteyka warrior was one of the bravest of his comrades, but when he saw the look of rage in Odo'khal's eyes, his bravery and arrogance failed him. He tried to stab out at Odo'khal as the giant advanced upon him.

Odo'khal started towards his attacker, and he deflected the spear thrust with a swipe of his forearm, snatching the spear from his opponent's hands in the same motion. The Kyllteyka warrior tried to back off, but in two quick strides Odo'khal was upon him.

He flipped the spear in his hands, so that the butt end was now facing outward, and he swung the whole, heavy wooden shaft of the spear like a club, slamming it into the warrior's shin, shattering the spear haft and the warrior's leg.

The burly Kyllteyka tsamsiyu fell to the ground, not screaming, but mouthing wordlessly and clutching at his broken leg. He looked up in horror to see Odo'khal looming over him, looking even more demented with only one ear and blood all over one side of his face.

That was the last thing he saw.

Odo'khal didn't hesitate. He simply planted his foot on the warrior's chest to brace himself and then leaned down and sunk the spear blade and the remaining haft directly into the warriors heart, killing him instantly.

Odo'khal stood and looked around him, and when his fearsome eyes connected with those of his surrounding foes, they quailed and took off running in fear, heading towards the lake.

Norm watched Odo'khal plunge the spear blade into the Kyllteyka's heart, and he shuddered slightly as the squirming and struggling warrior had gone very limp, very fast. He watched for a few moments longer to make sure that Odo'khal was alright before turning back into the ranks of Anat'so's warriors and making his way through the ranks, winding this way and that through the bodies and wounded.

He looked upon the faces of the dead and wounded, feeling sick with himself every time he praised the fact that the face he saw, lying dead or maimed, was not Var'ya. He felt ashamed of being glad that one of the other warriors was dead rather than her being gone.

He had become separated from her after their first initial charge, and he had become entangled and bogged down by a small group of fanatical Kyllteyka tsamsiyu, who, despite the fact that they were now encircled, separated from their main force and outnumbered, still fought to the last, taking several of Anat'so's warriors with them.

Norm only realized until after the small conflict was over, that Var'ya was not with him.

He now looked around through the writhing sea of bodies, moving and yelling and fighting. He could not see anything through the main wall of the fighting that was going on a short distance in front of him. He wanted to charge in and help his friends fight, but he couldn't, he had to find her.

Norm was about to move parallel down the main battle line to see if Var'ya was in the thick of the fight, when he heard a sharp yelp ring out close by. It was a sound of pain.

Something in Norm's gut clenched, and besides not having any idea what that 'something' was, he knew he had to go to and help whoever had cried it. A voice inside of him, drumming out in brain, that he had to hurry, that he had to find the owner of that cry.

Going purely on instinct and intuition, Norm dropped the spear he had been carrying and unsheathed his combat knife, charging through the first ranks of the warriors in front of him, coming into the direct line of battle.

He looked around, and then he saw her…

She was stuck behind Kyllteyka lines, being advanced upon by two tsamsiyu. Two other of Anat'so's warriors lay dead on either side of her, but she was left standing, but Norm could tell that the yelp of pain that she had given was from a wound in her shoulder. She held a knife, waving it around, trying to ward off her two attackers.

Var'ya backed up, trying to stay out of the reach of her foe's spears, but she without looking, she only took two paces backwards before she tripped over the body of one of her fallen comrades.

She fell, and her two attackers moved to finish her off.

One of them made it a step before Norm had crossed the distance, bulling over two Kyllteyka and sticking his knife between the warrior's shoulder blades.

The other of Var'ya's attackers stood over her, with his spear raised high above his head, poised to bring it down, right through her heart.

Norm tackled him from behind, sending them both careening to the ground, where they both proceeded to struggle for control and possession of the spear the warrior had been carrying. They rolled around on the ground, snarling, punching and biting at each other.

Norm, though he was pinned under the writhing and wriggling Kyllteyka, he was able to free one of his arms and punch the warrior with a hard right cross.

The punch succeeded in loosening the warrior's grip on Norm, who used the lapse to struggle out from underneath him.

He only made it halfway out before the warrior regained his grip on Norm and started punching him in the ribs. Norm fought doggedly back with one arm, while frantically searching around on the ground with his other arm, looking for anything that might serve as a weapon.

In his blind fumbling, his hands felt an arrow shaft sticking out of the ground. His hand closed around it, and he gave a firm yank, pulling it loose from the dirt.

In a swift but firm movement, he twisted around and brought the arrow, firmly clutched in his grasp, swinging around and lodged it into his attacker's side, who gave a squeal of pain and fell from Norm, limp and unresponsive.

Norm suddenly felt a pair of lithe arms that encircled his upper body and began to pull and heave on it. He used his legs to struggle out from under the body of the Kyllteyka, and soon he found himself standing face to face with Var'ya.

They locked eyes, and Norm saw many emotions flicker across her golden eyes. They merely stood there, amongst the carnage and ruin of battle, staring at each other.

It took a moment before Norm swallowed heavily and placed his hand upon her forearm, speaking in Na'vi.

"_Are you hurt? You must let me look at that wound on your shoulder…"_

Var'ya gave him a radiant, soft smile and placed her hands upon his, as his hand begun to poke and prod at her shoulder, checking it to see the extent of the damage.

She chuckled gently as she replied.

"_Norm, I am fine…but it is because of you that I am not dead."_

She paused, grasping his hands tighter and looking deeply into his eyes.

"_Thank you, Norm.."_

Even with adrenaline still pounding through his system, and the battle still going on around them, Norm blushed, his cobalt skin flushing to an even darker shade of blue.

He looked down at his feet and then returned his gaze to Var'ya's eyes, and was about to reply with some sheepish comment, when he heard a screech of rage come from behind him.

He whipped around to see the Kyllteyka he had stabbed with the arrow, standing, with said arrow still protruding from his side, with his spear raised, poised to throw it the short distance into Norm's exposed chest.

Norm's brain sparked instinctually with adrenaline, and he began to once again frantically search for something that would save him once again. His knife was still lodged in the back of a dead Kyllteyka tsamsiyu, and he had dropped the spear when he thought he had killed the warrior that now threatened to kill him.

He was saved the trouble, when a ikran makto swooped low out of the darkness above and put an arrow right between the Kyllteyka's eyes.

The warrior fell to the ground, his mouth formed into a tormented snarl of rage and pain, and his unseeing eyes lying wide open…

…..

* * *

When Jake saw Neytiri fall, limp to the ground, it was as if the final sinew of sanity holding his sanity firmly in place had finally been snapped.

It was like the dream…..and just like in the dream, Jake's entire existence seemed to be swallowed up in the flames that consumed his vision and mind. There was no reason or rational motivation behind his actions, and his instincts turned to murder and his vision flared in crimson.

He forgot his weapons lying upon the ground.

His fangs gleam in the firelight as his face erupted into a snarling roar and his feet pounded the ground as charged forward.

Tsu'tey saw him coming…..and also saw the light of pure vengeance shining in Jake's eyes and Tsu'tey felt fear….fear for his life.

Tsu'teys fought with the desperation of survival.

Jake ducked his first swipe, feeling a breeze of cool air as the knife blade passed over his head. He then leapt back as Tsu'tey brought the blade back across in another swipe.

He isn't quite ready for the fake that Tsu'tey threw out, stabbing at him with the knife and then landing a solid punch right onto the wound given to him by Mushirruh.

Jake avoided the stab, but forgot to look for the punch. He paid for it, and the pain that radiated from the wound was substantial, causing Jake to double up slightly.

Tsu'tey saw the opportunity to land a killing strike on Jake and he went directly for an overhand stab, gripping the knife with both hands and raising his arms above his head, ready to bring the knife right down on Jake's head.

He left his chest and midriff exposed.

Jake bit back the pain and exploded from his slightly crouched stance, grabbing one of Tsu'tey's arms as it came down, stopping the strike in midair. Jake then used his free arm to punch Tsu'tey in the face, landing a fearsome left hook on his jaw.

Jake reared up and brought a crashing kick into Tsu'tey's midriff, sending him flying, and knocking the knife from his hands.

Tsu'tey landed with a heavy thud, and lay for a second before beginning to rise.

Jake reached down and picked up Tsu'tey's knife, holding it out in front of him, ready.

Tsu'tey got up, staring at his knife in the hands of his mortal enemy…his eyes gave away his fear.

Jake barked out a short, harsh laugh before throwing the knife over his shoulder, and as he raised his fists again, ready to fight, his voice was low with menace and malice as he spoke.

"No weapons…..olo'eyktan…..just you and me….hand to hand combat"

Tsu'tey gave a defiant snarl, and this only caused Jake to smirk even further, before beginning his advance upon Tsu'tey once again.

"Tsu'tey….the only way this going to end is if one of us dies or surrenders, but judging by the look in your eyes, you know just as well as I do…neither one of us will walk away while the other survives."

Tsu'tey gave no reply, his eyes, now showing a glimmer of fear and trepidation, were the only sign that he had heard Jake.

Tsu'tey, now without a knife, became more and more erratic and desperate in his movements, constantly trying to move out of Jake's reach.

Jake kept his blazing eyes fixed upon Tsu'tey, and his face was once again set in a cold, emotionless expression, and to those that knew Jake, that was a sure sign of danger, a sign that the soldier, the Marine within Jake had just take control.

He did not stop in his advance, and Tsu'tey could not back up quickly enough, and before he could react, Jake threw a brutal punch that hit Tsu'tey upon the chin.

Tsu'tey's jaw exploded with pain, and his head whipped to the side violently, and his senses swam. He brought his arms up to defend himself, but he found Jake standing there, waiting for him to make his next move.

He righted himself, making sure his guard was up and stood there, staring at Jake as his vision stopped swaying.

After several moments, Tsu'tey shook his head vigorously, pulling himself out of the stupor. The pain that he felt only caused his eyes to burn with more hate for the ketuwong that now stood in front of him.

Something in the way Jake's eyes shifted in sharp focus and the way his face was set in an almost, lifeless, distant manner, made Tsu'tey even more fearful. But it also made him even more determined to finally be rid of Jakesully.

This time, it was Tsu'tey who advanced upon Jake, but unlike Tsu'tey Jake stood his ground.

Tsu'tey threw a jab to the left, and feinted to the right, then threw a punch back left, hoping to catch Jake off guard.

He was disappointed when Jake's arm shot out and grabbed his fist, twisting it backwards on his wrist.

Tsu'tey let out a high snarl of pain, but he quickly brought his free arm around to smash it into Jake's side, knocking the wind from his opponent.

Jake absorbed the impact, and gritted through the pain, but much to his chagrin, involuntarily loosened his grip on Tsu'tey's arm.

Tsu'tey tried to kick out at Jake, but Jake blocked it with his leg and then was forced to stumble backwards to avoid a fast, reckless punch thrown by Tsu'tey.

Tsu'tey's hands go for Jake's neck, as Jake is trying to not fall, his stumbling having caused his balance to waver.

Jake feels Tsu'tey's long finger close around his neck in a vicelike grip. His first instinctual reaction is to grab and claw at Tsu'tey's hands to try to relinquish their hold on his throat.

However, Jake's training kicks in, and he realizes what an exposed position Tsu'tey is now in.

Jake grins and both of his hands snake out to grab Tsu'tey firmly by the forearms. Tsu'tey looks down to where Jake is gripping his arms, and his eyes widen in panic as he realizes what Jake is about to do.

Too late….

Jake rams his own head forward in a vicious head butt, colliding his hard skull into Tsu'tey's face. The impact causes Tsu'tey's brow to split wide open, but also for Jake's nose to slide down and slam into Tsu'tey's hard jaw, breaking it.

Tsu'tey falls back, yelling and clutching at his face, while Jake stumbled back slightly, dazed and feeling his noise, which is once again broken and bleeding.

He takes his arm and wipes away the blood now running over his lips, and stares at Tsu'tey who is wavering and faltering in his balance, with blood running down the right side of his face from the long, pronounced gash above his right eye.

Jake looks down slightly, trying to quell the flow of blood from his nose, spitting it out as it leaked down his upper lip and into his mouth.

He had the wind knocked out of him when Tsu'tey slammed into his side, throwing them both to the ground, where Tsu'tey proceeded to bite Jake, directly on his wound.

Jake felt his mind seethe with rage when he felt Tsu'tey's sharp incisors pierce the skin around the wound, and he cried out at the pain, letting forth an angered roar.

Tsu'tey tried to keep Jake pinned, but Jake had become so much stronger that it was no contest. He roughly threw Tsu'tey off of him.

The pain was radiating throughout Jake's body and he lay there for a few moments, his eyes closed, trying to work through the pain and focus his mind and body back to the fight. He opened his eyes when he heard Tsu'tey move.

He saw Tsu'tey, standing above him, with a rock in one hand, poised to strike.

Tsu'tey fell upon Jake, trying to use the rock to land a crushing blow to Jake's head.

Jake brought his knees to his chest and had his hands raised as Tsu'tey fell. He neatly caught Tsu'tey with all four limbs and used his formidable strength to launch Tsu'tey backwards, over his head.

He heard Tsu'tey land with a 'thud' and Jake shot up immediately, berating himself for letting down his guard.

After Tsu'tey recovered, wiping the blood from his face and shaking off his delirium, the two warriors circled each other.

Both had their arms raised, ready to fight, and both had only murderous eyes for each other, and were oblivious to the battle raging on around them.

For a few minutes they only circled, recovering and waiting for one to make the next move.

Tsu'tey could no longer stand the hesitation and tension, against his better judgment, he made the first move.

He suddenly broke out into a flat out run, away from where they now stood.

Jake stood there for a few moments, slightly confused and puzzled, before he realized that Tsu'tey was making a break for Jake's weapons.

Realizing what Tsu'tey intended, Jake broke out into a sprint and chased after him.

Tsu'tey's fingers were just closing around the hilt of Jake's sword, before Jake crashed into his side, loosing his grip on the weapon and sending him sprawling into the dirt.

He quickly recovered and shot up, his face contorted in anger and frustration.

He launched a kick and punch combination at Jake's side, but Jake deflects both of them using his thigh and arms, and with his free arm, elbows Tsu'tey hard in the chest.

Tsutey recovers and jabs at Jake on the left and then comes back with a vicious right hook, which Jake blocks. There is a moment of silence as Jake and Tsu'tey stare into each other's eyes, as if they could kill the other with the hate and malice in their eyes.

Jake gives a snarling smirk, and then, pivoting on one foot, twists around Tsutey while still holding his arm, which he then proceeds to also twist around Tsutey's back, wrenching it painfully back.

Jake smirk becomes even more satisfied when he hears a crack, and Tsu'tey cries out in pain.

Still holding the arm, Jake uses his free arm to push Tsu'tey away from his body.

He twists them both around so that now Tsu'tey is now facing the only nearby tree.

Jake pushes them both forward, using his momentum to bring his left leg up and land an extremely powerful kick to Tsutey's spine, which sends him crashing forward into the tree.

Head first.

There is a hollow, knocking sound as Tsu'tey's skull collides with the tree trunk at considerable force and speed.

He bounces back off the trunk and crumples to the ground, limp and unmoving…..his eyes closed.

Jake, though keeping his distance, crouches down to where Tsu'tey now lay, and he lets out a sigh of frustration as he watches Tsu'tey's chest rise and fall in a slight motion.

Tsu'tey was unconscious.

Jake shook his head, his eyes still blazing with murderous rage, but his brow furrowed in slight confusion.

"Goddamnit, I was sure that was going to kill you….you've got a tough fucking head, you know that?"

Jake stood up, slightly unsure as what to do next. For the first time since the fighting had begun, he looked up to notice the raging battle happening all around him.

He knew he was needed in the battle, and he wanted to help, but he could not simply walk away, and let Tsu'tey wake up and escape…..or live, for that matter.

He stood there, for several minutes, watching Tsu'tey, almost willing his opponent to resurge into consciousness….so that he could kill him.

There was a small part of Jake, the abhorrently practical part of Jake, that told himself to go pick up his knife and slit Tsu'tey's throat right then and there, and be done with it.

Somehow, Jake could not do it, though it was nothing less than what Tsu'tey deserved, he could not kill him when he was not able to defend himself.

He also had to admit to himself that the Marine in Jake would not see Tsu'tey killed in cold blood, while the vengeful mate in Jake would not be satisfied to see Neytiri's tormentor slip quietly into the cold embrace of death, with his eyes closed and his mind not reeling in utter fear.

After several more minutes, Jake decided he could no longer stand around, and he turned, walking back over to where his weapons lay on the ground.

He picked up his knife and sword, and was about to strap on his bow, when he heard a booming voice call out his name.

"Jake! Toruk Makto!"

Jake looked up to see Odo'khal break free from the Omaticaya lines, and come towards him at a trot.

Jake ran out to meet Odo'kahl halfway, and they vigorously greeted each other, shaking each other's hands.

Jake gaped at the wounds that seemed to cover Odo'khal's body and he marveled at how the giant Na'vi seemed to think of them as little more than scratches. In the dim light, it took Jake a few moments to notice Odo'khal's missing ear, and he pointed at the stump that remained.

"What the hell happened to your ear?"

Odo'khal reached up and gingerly touched the still moving stump, grimacing and shrugging his shoulders.

"It got in the way of a poorly thrown, but still sufficiently sharp Kyllteyka blade."

Jake closed his eyes and shook his head, smiling slightly, despite the gravity of the situation.

This time it was Odo'khal's turn to point and gesture as he looked over Jake's shoulder to the limp form lying on the ground.

His mouth fell slightly open and his eyes widened as he looked down at Jake.

"Is that…..?"

Jake finished the sentence for him, nodding.

"Is that Tsu'tey…..yes it is, but before you ask, he's not dead….despite a good effort on my part to arrange otherwise, but he's out cold, so I'm not sure what to do with him for the exact moment."

Odo'khal nodded, and then turned back to look at the battle that still raged on. He then turned back to Jake, placing his large hand upon Jake's shoulder.

"Jake…I know all that you want to do right now is to go look over Neytiri, and make sure she is alright, and I obviously don't blame you if you do, but Moat is looking after her, and we have the Kyllteyka on the run…we've decimated their ranks, and they are slowly but surely being pushed backwards into the lake, but we could surely use a warrior of your strength and skill, not to mention the way it would bolster the morale of our warriors and kill the morale of the Kyllteyka."

Jake looked back up at Odo'khal, his gaze thoughtful. Honestly, he felt torn. There was nothing more that he wanted to do, than to finally be able to go and be at Neytiri's side, to make sure she was alright, but he knew the best way to achieve that goal was to make sure the threat of battle and mayhem was finished completely.

He bit his lip, thinking hard.

Odo'khal knew that he was not getting a response immediately, and he turned back to observe the battle and make sure that he was not needed, or that there was any pressing issue that he had to solve.

Jake was deep in contemplation when the first arrow slammed into the back of his left arm. Instinctually, he let out a roar of pain and grasped at his upper arm. His eyes shot down and saw that an arrow now neatly protruded from the outer edge of his upper left arm.

Odo'khal had turned around at the sound of Jake's cry and now his eyes widened as he saw Jake clutching at an arrow that was sticking out of his arm.

Jake whipped around and gave a snarl of frustration and rage at what he saw.

Tsu'tey was standing there, with Jake's bow in his hands, and he was in the process of drawing another arrow from Jake's quiver.

Jake let out a murderous growl and leapt forward, sword in hand, in a charge.

Tsu'tey saw this and he quickly notches another arrow to the string, took aim and let the shaft fly.

Jake saw his danger this time, and he dodged to the right as Tsu'tey fired, sidestepping the arrow and using his momentum to continue in the charge.

He was now close enough to see the fear and panic rise into Tsu'tey's eyes and the smug expression of treacherous triumph turn to one of dread. Jake smirked inwardly….he had seen that face before on many warriors and soldiers, on Pandora and on Earth…it was the look of someone who had not expected to miss

Tsu'tey scrambled to draw another arrow from the quiver, actually getting the arrow notched to the string before Jake was upon him.

If Tsu'tey had opted for trying to defend himself with dropping the bow and picking up the knife that lay not three paces from his feet, he might have survived, but when he brought the bow, with arrow on string, up to draw, he saw the pure vitriol in his eyes and the clam of absolute fearlessness upon his countenance…only then did he realize his mistake.

Tsu'tey tried to raise the bow and defend himself, but there was no defense to be had.

For a long time, Jake had been waiting for this moment, the moment when he looked into the eyes of his enemy and he saw the shimmer of absolute fear, the knowledge of impending doom.

Jake brought his sword back with a roar, and swung it with all of his might.

There was slight cracking sound as the sword severed Tsu'tey's vertebrae, and then there were a few moments of silence, followed only by the wet thud of Tsu'tey's head falling to the ground.

His severed head was quickly followed by his decapitated body, and the two lay side by side.

Jake stared down at his now dead foe, almost unwilling to believe that it was over.

Odo'khal ran up behind him, and looked down upon the grisly scene, gasping as he saw Tsu'tey's head lying separate from his body.

Without explanation, Jake stooped down and grasped Tsu'tey's head by his queue, holding it aloft and examining it for a few moments before silently turning and trotting towards the battle.

Odo'khal, though shocked and confused, followed behind his friend, interested to see what Jake had planned.

Some of the Omaticaya saw Jake coming and they parted the ranks to let him through, reverently speaking his name in awed tones.

"Toruk Makto had come back to us, he has come to conquer the Kyllteyka and free us!"

The word spread quickly throughout the lines that Jake was approaching the battle, and the fighting subsided slightly as many tried to catch sight of the mighty warrior who had slain the Vyrkawng.

Jake began to climb the hill, heading for the front lines, where a sort of uneasy lull had developed. Both sides had fallen back, creating a gap between the armies.

Jake gave a harsh shout that rung out across the hillside, and all sides turned their heads to hear what he had to say.

"Kyllteyka! 'Itan syu alim kyxhla atxkxe!"

Jake burst through the Omaticaya lines, out into the open, into the gap between the armies…..holding Tsu'tey's head aloft by the queue.

There was a deadly silence that reigned amongst the Kyllteyka. Jake's facr contorted into rage and menace as he shook the head, motioning to it with his sword.

"_Look! Look well, Kyllteyka! Here is your master! Here is your olo'eyktan! I slew him with the sword I hold in my hands, and I slew the Vrykawng…there is no one left to save you!"_

Jake paused to watch the effect of his words, and let a fearsome grin creep onto his face as he saw the despair and panic in the eyes and faces of the remnants of the once great and vast Kyllteyka horde.

"_If you do not leave this place right now, none of you will be leaving it alive."_

Jake motioned to Tsu'tey's head again, prodding it with his sword.

"_I warned him that if he did not surrender and flee back to the desert, and leave the Omaticaya in peace, that this would be his end. I promised him that….and he did not listen…look at him now!"_

Jake paused once more, letting his words sink in. After several moments of ominous silence, he drew his arm back and lobbed Tsu'tey's head in a high arc.

It landed amongst the ranks of the terrified Kyllteyka, who shuddered when Jake's booming voice rang out with a note of finality and danger.

"_Go now! Go now and flee…or stay here and suffer the same fate as your master!"_

Not one of the Kyllteyka deified his words, and the remnants of the horde took off in one fluid motion down the hill, heading for the western edge of the lake, and the forests beyond.

Jake watched them go for a few moments before turning back to his own tsamsiyu.

He saw Odo'khal standing at the forefront of the Omaticaya ranks, and he walked up the hill to meet him.

"Well that went better than I thought"

Odo'khal gave a small smirk at Jake's words, and he motioned after the retreating horde.

"With your leave, olo'eyktan, I will take several groups of tsamsiyu and taronyu and go after those scum to make sure none double back or try to hide out in the forests."

Jake wrinkled his nose in slight distaste at being called olo'eyktan once more, but he saw the wisdom of Odo'khal's words and he nodded.

"I wish I could go with you, but…."

Odo'khal suddenly grabbed Jake by the shoulders, holding his upper body in a unyielding grip. Jake's eyes shot to Odo'khal's in confusion, and the giant stared back at him, his gaze firm but almost apologetic at the same time.

"Hold still, Jake….this is going to hurt."

Odo'khal reached out and snapped the front part of the arrow that was protruding from the front of Jake's upper arm.

Jake gave a yelp and narrowed his eyes at Odo'khal.

"A little warning would have been nice, ya' big bastard!"

Odo'khal smirked silently, moving his grip so that he held Jake by the left shoulder.

Jake realized what Odo'khal was about to do, and he gritted his teeth and steeled himself.

It was nothing short of agony as Odo'khal drew the rest of the shaft back out through the wound, but as soon as the shaft was out, the pain lessened immensely, and Jake let out a huge sigh, rubbing the wound.

"Goddamnit, I'm glad that's fucking over with."

Odo'khal and several of the tsamsiyu who had been standing nearby, watching the procedure, chuckled at Jake's words.

Jake suddenly realized where he needed to be right now, and his gaze shot down the hill, to where, by the light of the fires he could see two figures huddled together on the shore.

He turned to Odo'khal and opened his mouth to tell him that he needed to be elsewhere right now, but Odo'khal waved a huge hand, dismissing Jake's words, and nodding, showing that he understood Jake had been about to say, and then gently pushed him down the slope in the direction of the shore, his words following Jake.

"Then don't waste any more time, Jake, go to her….she is with her mother."

Jake glanced back over his shoulder and shot Odo'khal and the tsamsiyu a quick nod of gratitude and then turned and shot down the hill in a full sprint, jumping and bounding over the wreckage and carnage of the battle, neither of which could distract him at the moment.

He skidded to a halt in front of where Neytiri lay, her head cradled in her mother's arms.

Moat's head shot up as she heard his pounding footfalls approach, and her eyes widened when she saw Jake standing before her…not only alive, but victorious as well.

Moat also saw that Jake's eyes never even noticed her, but she was not hurt or disappointed as she saw the Jake's eyes were locked onto Neytiri's face, endlessly roving her features, as if trying to recapture all of her beauty that he had lost in the time of their absence from one another.

His eyes were resting on Neytiri's swollen stomach, his mouth hung open in silent amazement.

Moat wanted desperately to ask Jake how it was possible that he was here, that he was still alive, but she wisely kept her mouth shut and silently marveled at the turn of events that had occurred.

Suddenly, she felt a stirring in her arms, and she looked down in surprise to see Neytiri's eyes fluttering into wakefulness. Her hands began to move, her fingers curling, while her legs shifted upon he soft sand of the shore, creating little furrows as she tried to shake off the stupor of unconsciousness.

Neytiri's eyes finally came open, and she stared straight up, as if trying to make sense of her surroundings, and then they flickered to her mother, who stared back down at her.

Neytiri brought one hand to her head, where Maot was sure she had a throbbing lump from where Tsu'tey had struck her, and her other hand traveled down to feel her stomach.

Neytiri mouthed several words, but now sound came, and Moat patiently waited for her daughter to speak. Finally Neytiri swallowed and seemed to gain control of her voice, her eyes still full of confusion.

"Mother….what has happened? Why….what…..?"

Moat gently stroked her daughter's head and shushed her, her voice gentle and full of relief.

"Shh…..my daughter, we are so glad to have you back and safe…."

Neytiri still looked at her mother, her questioning eyes still full of confusion. Moat sighed and patted her daughter on the cheek.

"Do you not remember what had happened this night? Do you not remember….."

Moat's words were cut off as Neytiri's eyes suddenly widened in realization, and she shot up into a sitting position, turning to face her mother, her movements frantic.

"Jake! Mother, Jake is alive….I saw him with my own eyes! I thought I was seeing him as a memory, as I often have, but this time, somehow….I knew it was truly him. Where is he? Have you seen him? I have to find him."

Moat chuckled and grabbed a hold of her daughter's hands, and a few tears of relief fell down her face as she saw her daughter, once again, so alive.

"I'm glad that blow to the head didn't damage your memory or your senses…."

Moat's eyes shifted over her daughter's shoulders, as if looking to someone in the background. She chuckled again

"She gave us quite a scare, wouldn't you say?"

Neytiri's eyes and brow knit in confusion as to her mother' attention was directed to, and then she heard a deep voice, so full of mischief and so full of happiness, call out from behind her.

"Yeah, she did…..there are fewer moments in my life when I have been more scared…...she should be more careful in the future."

Neytiri knew that voice.

She whirled around, still sitting, and came face to face with Jake, who stood there, his eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness, and a brilliant smile planted across his face.

Neytiri could only stare back in wide eyed wonder, and she felt her own eyes begin to fill up with tears. She felt rooted to the spot, too overwhelmed to move.

A single tear slipped from Jake's eye and his voice came out calm and full of happiness.

"O'el ngati kamie, Neytiri…"

Neytiri let out a strangled cry, somewhere between a sob and laughter, and leapt up and jumped into Jake's arms, throwing her arms around his neck.

Jake barely had time to drop his sword, and he quickly recovered, returning the embrace and hugging her fiercely to him. Both of them were quietly sobbing as they simply embraced each other.

Jake buried his face into her hair and the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent and holding her.

His voice came out, strangled by his own emotion, but he kept repeating his words, trying to make Neytiri understand.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"

In response, Neytiri only held on to Jake tighter, laughing and crying at the same time.

* * *

A/N: First, I want to give thanks to all of the people who have stuck with this story, from beginning or whenever you started reading, becasue I know some people are pissed off at me for not updating. Oh well, such is life. I want to thank especially chawk1993, for being a diligent helper in my quest to overcoming writers block. It was actually her suggestion of listening to music that paralleled the plot line of this chapter. I did exactly that and surprise! I broke my curse of writers block. I listened to Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" over and over and over and over again. The song is about the Norse god Thor going out, during Ragnarok, and facing off in a colossal and impossibly epic battle with the giant world serpent, Jormugandr. Now, assuming that you have read the chapter, I going to assume that you cane see the relation between that story and the plot of this chapter. I suggest you listen to the song, the music is just as epic as the story. However, it is melodic death metal, so if you dont like metal or are not used to heavy, harsh vocals, I suggest you look up the lyrics to read along with the song, so you can actually understand what's going on, lyrically and so you can see how that song inspired me to write this chapter. Also, as far as music is concerned, one of the reasons it also took me a long ass time write this chapter is because the first month after I published 'Tale of Revenge', I spent all of my time writing a soundtrack, if you will to this chapter. I wanted to have an epic soundtrack to go with my climactic chapter. So using software that I had, I manipulated virtual instruments and came up with a orchestral, symphonic soundtrack that is supposed to parallel the emotions of this chapter. You can check it out on a website called .com, where if you go to it, type into the search bar "doomitron" and you will come up with my profile, where the song should be. I would love to hear some reviews of that as well as reviews of my actual writing. I spent a shit ton of hours writing the music that went into the piece and deciding which instruments should be used and which shouldnt. Anyway, please review that, but after I finished the task of writing the soundtrack, it seemed that all of my creativity had been sapped from me. I tried to immediately start writing the actual chapter, but I couldnt seem to start it in a way that I liked, and that led to writers block. I had an outline, so I knew what I wanted to have happen in the chapter, but it was skeletal at best, and I couldnt seem to fill in the gaps like I usually do. Anyway, chawk1993 started pestering me and bombarding my inbox with messages and emails, asking me when I was going to update. So it forced me to start thinking about the chapter again, and wouldnt you know it the creative juices started flowing again, and then I found my inspirational piece of viking death metal and over the past two weeks, I have been writing every night, trying to complete this monster chapter. Honestly, I have to thank chawk1993 for helping me out of my slump, because that perstering and repeated suggestions was just what I needed to help me start writing again. Anyway, I would love to see some reviews on this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it, and I really, honestly, hope it lived up to the quality of the plot that the story was leading up to. This is not the last chapter, but it is the most essential. Enjoy, everybody...take it easy.


	23. Ferrum Aeturnum

A/N: Once again, I'm sorry for the delay in chapter updates, I meant to get these smaller chapters up much faster. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Please Review.

**Ferrum Aeternum**

Neytiri pulled back from Jake's embrace and gently sliped down so that she was standing on the ground again, still keeping her arms around Jake's neck. Tears still leaked out of the edges of her eyes, and she struggled to smile through the silent sobs that were wracking her frame.

Jake reached up, his eyes shimmering with profound joy, and he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

Neytiri closed her eyes at the contact, and she brought one of her hands from around his neck to hold his hand to her cheek, nuzzling into the touch.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Jake still smiling down at her, and she knew he felt like she did, too overwhelmed for any words.

Finally Neytiri found her voice again, and she reached up with her hand to stroke Jake's cheek.

"I thought you were dead…..I saw you lying on that stone altar, cold and limp…I have been living as half a person thinking that you were gone. I have lived like my life was already over; I have felt as if my spirit died with yours."

Jake's smile dimmed somewhat and he opened his mouth to speak, but Neytiri cut across him, struggling to get out her pent up emotions, before they once again consumed her.

"I don't know whether to truly believe that you are here, I feel your touch and I feel your skin under my touch, and I see your eyes, and I know it is my Jake, but I am still afraid….I am still filled with the fear that I will suddenly wake up and you will still be…dead."

Her head dipped down as she stared at the ground.

Jake brought his hand under her chin to lift her head back up, forcing her to look into his eyes. He then brought both hands to cup her cheeks, using his thumbs to stroke her cheeks, and he smiled a small grin, and his eyes remained gentle and loving. His voice echoed with a note of conviction and love as he spoke to her.

"Neytiri, oel ngati kamie…I love you, I would or will never leave you….even in death….but I'm not dead, Neytiri, I'm standing right here, here with you."

Neytiri could not help the smile that creased her face, and then instinctually, they crushed their lips to each other, kissing each other deeply.

The passion exploded inside both of their minds, and all of the pent up anger, frustration, grief, sadness, and now joy was conveyed through that kiss.

All of the long nights that had transpired in between Jake's 'passing' and now, in which they had been apart, in which they could not be with each other, came crashing down upon them, and their joined lips signified a silent bond, unspoken but fervent, that neither of them would allow anything of the sort to ever happen again.

They broke apart reluctantly, only ending for need of air. Both had their eyes closed, and their lips were still parted, relishing the lingering feeling of the contact.

They opened their eyes and stared back at one another, both of them still wearing the same shocked expression, as if they were still dubious that the time had come when they could be together again.

Jake's smile once again faded, and his brow darkened as shameful memories flooded his mind. He grabbed both of Neytiri's hands in his, loving the feel of her smaller, softer, four fingered hands, being enveloped by his larger, five fingered hands. He sat there for a moment, enjoying the simple contact.

Neytiri was now staring at him worriedly, having seen the murky expression that had come over his face.

Jake saw her expression and looked to either side of her, before bringing his gaze back on her. Neytiri could tell that whatever Jake had to say, he was not extremely happy about or proud of. She patiently awaited whatever words he would say, knowing it was better to let him express them himself, rather than her rush him into saying something he did not mean.

Finally, Jake spoke, his voice low and quiet, as if it was a secret that he was admitting. Neytiri could detect a hint of frustration in his voice, and saw that he bowed his head as he spoke.

"Neytiri, when I saw you at the stream, lying on the rocks…."

He paused to look up and judge her reaction to his words. He was not surprised when he saw her mouth agape, her shock apparent. He also a little bit of hurt in her eyes, and he was not surprised by this either, and he rushed to explain.

"When I saw you at the stream, and yes it was I who put the blanket over you…..I wanted to go to you, to touch you and hold you, and show you that I wasn't dead…..that I was alive."

He paused again, shifting his gaze around before forcing his eyes back to hers. Neytiri wisely kept her mouth shut, waiting to hear Jake's full explanation.

"I wanted to so badly….you have no idea how badly I wanted to whisk you away from there…..but you see, in order to save you and the Omaticaya, I couldn't let Tsu'tey know anything was different, I couldn't let him know that I was still alive. I had to have the element of surprise."

Jake paused to turn and gesture into the darkness at the battlefield, where at the edge of the firelight, they could see the bodies of the slain, of both sides.

"And we barely won as it is….so, I had to let things be for a while, and for that I am so sorry, Neytiri….it was the wrong thing to do….I should have come in here ages ago and gotten you out of here, with or without a battle plan. Please understand Neytiri, I was…"

Neytiri gave a soft shushing noise, taking one of her hands from Jake's grasp and putting her palm against his mouth, silencing him.

"Shhh, my Jake…you did right, you were thinking as you were supposed to….not only as a mate, but as an olo'eyktan should, you thought for your people, and you can do no better than that Jake…..you do not need my forgiveness, I understand why you did what you did, regardless of the pain involved."

Jake's face grimaced at the mention of Neytiri being in pain, and he took her hand as he looked off into the distance, his own shame clearly stamped upon his face.

Neytiri reached up and pulled his face down to hers, giving him a kiss and then nuzzling her nose against his face, closing her eyes and taking in his scent and touch.

"Jake…..I thought you were dead, and it broke my heart to a point…to a point where I did not think that it could be repaired, to a point where I thought I would live the rest of my life, without my soul. But all of that is forgotten now, and all that matters is that you are not dead, and I am happier than I have ever been…just to have you back."

Jake brought his arms around Neytiri, holding her to him, and he looked down at her face, her eyes still closed, and whispered softly to her.

"I'm not going anywhere Neytiri."

They stood there for an hour, maybe more, silent in their embrace, needing no words to express their joy and contentment with the moment. The emotions flowed back and forth between them in the bond, and they reveled in the simple, yet profound communication it offered them.

Neither seemed to have any desire to move, because moving would require breaking the contact that they shared, the contact with each other that they both had been longing for over the past few months.

Jake's eyes snapped open when he felt a massive, heavy hand descend gently upon his shoulder.

He knew that hand.

He let out a deep sigh and stood to his full height, and without turning around, addressed the owner of the hand.

"Yes, Odo?."

Jake could not keep the note of good natured anger out of his voice, and he heard Odo'khal chuckle slightly at his tone.

Neytiri broke away from Jake's tight embrace and stared over her mate's shoulder at Odo'khal, her brow knit in a fashion that displayed some of her consternation at having her time with Jake disturbed.

Odo'khal smiled and held up his hands in mock surrender at the looks he was receiving.

"As much I hate to separate you two again, Jake, there is some business to attend to that requires the presence of the olo'eyktan and the intimidating presence of the toruk…..the scouts have run into a group of Kyllteyka who are doubling back."

Jake, though still holding one of Neytiri's hands, turned to face Odo'khal as he heard these words, and his eyes darkened slightly. His mouth turned slightly into a grimace and he put his other hand to his forehead, as if trying to stave off a headache.

Odo'khal made a move as if to leave and his mouth opened, but Jake motioned for him to stop and his voice cut across whatever Odo'khal had been about to say.

"Odo….I just want to thank you, I owe you more than you can imagine. There is no way to properly thank you for what you've done for me."

Odo'khal's brow rose and his eyes were lit with a humble pride, and he held up his hands clasped together and bowed slightly in a gesture of acknowledgement.

"thank you for your gratitude, olo'eyktan…..but there is nothing to thank, I was merely doing what was required of me."

Jake shook his head before turning back to Neytiri, staring directly into her eyes.

"No, Odo…you protected Neytiri for me in my absence…"

Jake paused and placed his free hand upon Neytiri's swollen belly, before continuing.

"You protected the two things that I treasure above all else…"

Neytiri and Jake stared directly into each other's eyes, and Neytiri gasped slightly at the rush of emotions and sensations she received through the bond from the twins at the feeling of Jake's hand resting on her stomach.

She saw Jake's face light up in dumbfounded joy as for the first time ever he felt his children move inside Neytiri, and he felt Neytiri's own shock through the bond.

The unbelieving smile that was planted on his face caused Neytiri's mind to buzz with a simple, yet overpowering pleasure.

Then it hit her.

Jake didn't know.

As far he was concerned and as far as he knew, there was only one eveng inside of her….and he only expected to be the father of one child.

Neytiri quickly bit back a smile and her desperate urge to tell him.

She would have some fun with this yet…

Odo'khal called out behind them to some of the tsamsiyu standing on the hill, and Jake finally took his hands from her and turned to face his task. He began to talk to Odo'khal, discussing what needed to be done.

At their separation, Neytiri immediately felt a small sense of discomfort and anxiety wash over her. It gnawed at her, reminding her of the fact that she could no longer feel Jake.

Even though she could see him clearly standing less than two steps from her, the powerful compulsion to reach out and forcefully grab him, thereby anchoring herself to him, came over her.

She successfully deflected the urge, not wanting to lose control. After so much had happened tonight, all that Neytiri wanted was some form of calm, some form of normality to return to her existence.

Now that she had Jake back, the remaining details that comprised her life seemed inconsequential. The fact that Jake had returned, despite his own seeming death, brought so much contentment and release to Neytiri's burdened heart that she felt so much like her old self, and she could feel the seemingly jagged edges of her pain melding together back into a semblance of her previous life, the one in which her beloved mate was still alive and well.

Neytiri started slightly as Jake's hand alighted upon her shoulder.

She had been caught in her thoughts again, and her eyes snapped up to Jake's and she saw the glint of love and adoration in his eyes, but also the slight undercurrent of concern and questioning, as evidenced by his furrowed brow.

His hand moved from her shoulder to cup her cheek and she felt her face erupt with warmth at the contact, causing her thoughts to scatter and her heart to swell with love.

Jake's voice was quiet, but full of concern.

"You okay?"

His voice soothed her heart, but Neytiri's mind still screamed in anxiety at Jake leaving again. She wanted to tell him to not go, to stay with her. She struggled to find the right words to say so as to truly convey the depth of her concern and her need for his presence.

As if reading her mind, he took a couple of steps closer to her, and brought his other hand to rest on her neck, cradling her head.

"Don't worry, I'll be only a short flight away….nothing is going to happen to me."

He cracked a small skewed grin, and his eyes twinkled.

"After all, I've got Odo with me…what more protection could I have?"

Neytiri let a small, silent smile break onto her face, but Jake could still see her eyes clouded in silent distress.

His face became serious once more, and he stepped even closer to her, so that their noses were touching. He breathed deeply before continuing.

"Neytiri, I'll be back by dawn, please don't wait up for me, I want you to get some sleep….we are all stressed out from tonight but you don't need to be."

Jake's hand that had been at her neck now snaked down her front until it rested on her protruding belly.

"Its not good for you or the baby….."

Once again Neytiri felt a myriad of emotions spring forth from the twins at the sensation of Jake's hand upon her belly. It caused her smile to become even wider.

Jake saw this, and raised his eyebrows in confusion, silently questioning his mate.

Neytiri saw his confused expression and rushed to placate his inquirys.

"Its nothing, my Jake….I will tell you about it when you get back and we have some time alone."

Jake's eyebrows shot even further up on his forehead, and the questioning concern was replaced with a mischevious glint, complimented by a lopsided grin.

"Time alone, eh?...I like the sound of that."

Neytiri snarled in mock anger, and slapped Jake on the chest, pushing him away slightly.

"Skxawng!"

Jake laughed out loud, and the sound of it drove Neytiri almost to tears of happiness, and her heart swelled to almost its bursting point.

Jake grabbed Neytiri and pulled her back to him. Without hesitation, he brought his head down to hers and planted his lips upon hers in a deep kiss.

They suddenly broke apart at the sound of nearby chuckling, and they saw Moat and Odo'khal standing side by side, watching the pair and their antics, finding joy and amusement in what they saw.

Jake let out a chuckle of his own and grinned sheepishly when he saw that they were being watched.

Neytiri, usually being reserved and observant of decorum and clan pleasantries, for once, found that she did not care if her and Jake were seen, so much was her desire to simply be with Jake and to hold him in contact with herself.

At a silent nod from Odo'khal, Jake leaned back down and gave Neytiri one last parting kiss.

He then turned to the dark skies, and without hesistation, let out a loud:

"OORAH!"

Jake didn't flinch as the massive Toruk swopped down from the dark skies and landed with an impact that shook the ground.

Without hesitation, Jake leapt onto the back of his mount, reigned in the creature and made tsayhalu. The beast let out a roar and flapped its leathery wings in great strokes, eventually gaining lift and disappearing into the dark night.

Neytiri felt a hand upon her shoulder, and looked down to see her mother staring at her.

Her mother smiled at her, and Neytiri returned the smile, and they both reveled in the joy that they both felt.

Moat turned Neytiri around with her hands and gently shunted her towards the slope of the hill that led back to Hometree.

"Jakesully was right…..you should be asleep, resting. We all should….."

Neytiri rounded on her mother, her jaw agape.

"How do you think it possible for me to sleep at a time like this…Jake is alive! He has come back to us beyond all hope! I want nothing more than to be at his side, and you expect me to sleep?"

Moat chuckled again, continuing to push Neytiri gently in the direction of Hometree.

"Daughter, you must try to sleep, I realize you excited beyond words, but you are tired…you may not know it, but you are, as are your eveng. They need your strength, and for you to have your strength, you must have rest. Now, go and sleep."

Neytiri sighed, knowing there to be no further argument in the matter. She turned, letting her mother take her by the arm, while they made the long walk back up to Hometree.

Neytiri's thoughts raced as she walked, and thought she might be tired in body, her mind was humming with joy and excitement:

Jake was alive…

* * *

Neytiri awoke suddenly, her mind surging into activity, and for a minute or so, she swam in the mental fog of pre-waking consciousness.

Slowly, her thoughts became organized and a semblance of coherence took hold, solidifying her thoughts.

She felt well rested, and it was a feeling that was almost alien to her, as she had not slept well a single night since Jake had died.

Suddenly, her mind came to a grinding halt, and the memories of the previous night flooded her brain.

Jake was alive!

So often had she dwelled on Jake's passing that it took mental effort to correct herself and remind her own mind of the joyful truth that Jake was still alive.

Her realization caused the same excitement to rise within her as it had last night, making her heart surge in unbounded happiness.

She suddenly felt the need to get up.

She tried to rise.

That's when she suddenly noticed that something was weighing her down, pinning her somewhat..

Suddenly, she realized her eyes were not even open, so entrenched within her own thoughts she had been. Her lids snapped open, and she realized she was back in her own alcove in Hometree.

She was lying on her side on her moss bed, the one she shared with Jake.

That's when Neytiri noticed out of the corner of her eye, something lying on top of her side, draping over her.

Her eyes focused.

It was an arm…an arm with five fingers.

All of her senses swam as she finally was aware of her full surroundings.

Neytiri could feel the warmth of a body next to her, and with the hand having the peculiar and certain number of fingers that it had, it could only belong to one person.

She took a sniff of the air within around her, and she inhaled deeply of his scent. She smiled, and she marveled at how such a situation could be so alien and yet so familiar to her.

She had woken up hundreds of times like this, back before Jake's alleged death. She remembered those days as if they were a lifetime ago, but here she was, in the exact same situation, remembering all of the same sensations, but yet cherishing them all on a whole new level.

She had missed all of these touches, smells and sensations in the past few months, that they no longer seemed mundane and commonplace to her, but something marvelous and wondrous.

She was filled contentment as she felt the body next to her shift slightly, disturbing its soft snores.

Using all of the cunning and skill, Neytiri rolled over to face the creature next to her.

She smiled at what she saw.

Jake's face was serene and peaceful. His features were calm in his slumber, and his breathing was now regular and even.

He was curled against Neytiri, his hand draped over her waist, unconsciously drawing her to him.

Neytiri gasped slightly as she noticed that Jake's spots were alight, blazing a radiant glow upon his face, She had not seen his spots so lit since they had first mated under the Tree of Voices.

Her eyes followed the spots as they traveled down his body in lines, and that's when Neytiri noticed that she was not looking at the same Jake she had woken up to in the past.

Besides the bandage that wrapped around the upper portion of one his arms, and the scars that lined his midriff, Jake's body was much bigger than it had before.

Jake had been in shape before, but now….

Neytiri desperately wanted to reach out and feel the newfound muscles and hard planes of Jake's body, but she withheld her hand, despite the slight tingling of desire and lust that filled her.

She swallowed those feelings, knowing there would be plenty of time for that later. No matter how much she wanted Jake to wake up so she could feel him and be one with him, she knew and had been warned by her mother that she was too far along in being with child for such activities.

She couldn't stand to not touch Jake.

She reached out with a hand, and gently ran it along Jake's cheek, running it over the spots, and feeling the heat from within as it warmed her fingers.

Jake's breath hitched at the contact, and his eye lids fluttered before sliding open, revealing his golden eyes.

They lock with Neytiri's.

His face erupted into a dazzling smile, and Neytiri realized that she will never get tired of seeing that smile, especially after having missed it sorely during Jake's absence in the past few months.

Neytiri leaned over and planted her lips on Jake's, only meaning for it to be a small kiss, but somehow unconsciously conveyed her previous desires into the gesture. She had missed Jake so, so much over the past few months. Now that he was here, with her, she needed him.

Jake, on a subconscious level, recognized her desires and need, and deepened the kiss.

Suddenly, everything became quite passionate.

For several minutes, they reveled in the intimacy of their caresses and contact, as two people deeply in love, having been separated for far too long of a time.

They both needed each other, and they conveyed their pent up emotions to each other through searing kisses and longing touches.

Jake, planting an arm on either side of Neytiri, raised himself over her, and when they separated from lack of oxygen, they both simply stared into each other's eyes, smiling.

Silently, they confirmed to each other that they both knew that they wanted to fully immerse themselves in each other, but they knew that they could not.

Jake then lowered his head and began to plant small kisses all over her now swollen stomach.

Neytiri snaked her hands into his hair, laughing outright at the ridiculous but heartwarming gesture.

Jake sat up, looking at Neytiri with wide eyes full of happiness and wonder. His voice was quiet but it denoted the happiness and simple joy he felt.

"You…..you have no idea….how much I have missed that laugh."

He places both of his hands upon her stomach, looking down at her stomach before returning his gaze to hers.

His face was once more cracked in a almost childish grin.

"Did our son or daughter behave for you while I was gone? By the looks of it, he or she must have grown quite a bit since I last saw you at the stream….have you felt any movement? How are you eating? I mean, you've been staying as healthy as you can, right?"

Neytiri felt almost assaulted by Jake's sudden barrage of questions, and she reached out a hand and forcibly shut his mouth, effectively silencing him.

She laughed.

"My Jake, slow down…!"

She couldn't help but laugh and smile at Jake. His questions had been asked with such enthusiasm and excitement that he seemed so much like the child she accused him of being…but in truth it was one of the things she loved him deeply for.

It was then that she decided to tell him about his impending fatherhood of two children, rather than one.

She released the hand she had over Jake's mouth, and holding the other out in a calming and placating gesture, she smiled at Jake.

"Jake…they are fine."

Neytiri watched in silent suspense.

At first, Jake nodded at her answer, his smile widening, and a look of relief coming into his eyes. He looked back down at her stomach, where his hands rested.

Seconds later, his head shot back up and his eyes were wide with a roiling mixture of confusion, wonder, and anticipation.

His eyes bored into Neytiri's and his mouth hung agape, in seeming shock.

He tried to stand up, but in his confusion and wonder, he only succeeded in rolling backwards off of the moss pad, landing on the floor with a thud.

Neytiri sat up, chuckling, unable to help herself at the look on Jake's face when he righted himself.

Jake stared back at her, and finally he found his voice, but was only to strangle out a simple question.

"Neytiri….?"

Neytiri simply smiled back at him, almost encouragingly, as if willing him to unravel her words.

Jake shuffled over to her and kneeled in front of her, placing both of his hands reverently upon her stomach, as if handling something he had never seen before.

They looked at each other for several moments, before Jake finally spoke.

"They…..?"

Neytiri simply nodded back at Jake, watching as he looked back down at her stomach with a whole new level of joy and wonder entering his eyes.

"Yes, Jake were are having twins…..just as you were, even though it has never happened before in Na'vi history, we are going to have twins.

There were several moments of silence, before Jake exploded into a brash cacophony of happy noises.

Neytiri laughed at Jake's outburst, but yelled in surprise when she found herself being lifted from the bed and encircled in Jake's strong arms, where he proceeded to twirl her around, dancing in his exuberant euphoria.

Neytiri laughed uproariously at his antics, and then she suddenly felt something through the natal bond.

She felt a surge of simple, yet intense glee. Child-like…

She felt the twins' feelings…..and they were happy. They sensed their father and his own happiness and they sensed their parents as one.

Neytiri cried out, wanting to alert Jake of what was happening.

"Jake!"

Jake looks up at her and sees her surprise, and suddenly his smile diminishes and he quickly but gently lowers her to the ground.

"Oh shit…I did'nt hurt you did I? Goddamnit, I'm such an idiot.."

Neytiri recovered her balance and quickly reached up and again stifled Jake's mouth.

She looked deeply into his eyes, making sure that he saw her love for him within their depths.

"Yes Jake, you are a skxawng….but you are mine, and even if you are skxawng, you are also loving, strong and handsome…and don't worry the twins are fine, I just wanted to tell you that they sensed us, together and happy, and it made them happy…they know our love and they know that they will be loved."

Jake kissed Neytiri solidly upon the lips before pulling back and crouching down in front of her, placing both of his hands on her stomach.

"Whatever you may be, my sons or my daughters….oel ngati kamie. I am your father and I will do whatever I can in my life to protect and take care of you. Don't ever forget that me and your mother love you."

Jake felt a small bit of moisture land upon his forehead, and stood up, smiling. Neytiri couldn't help the few tears of happiness that leaked from her eyes.

They both knew that they were tears of happiness, and Jake simply wiped the escaping moisture away with a thumb. He cupped Neytiri's face and leaned in so that their lips were barely touching.

His voice is low and soft.

"You have no idea how much I love you….."

With that, he kissed her deeply, and they stayed like that for several minutes, before finally breaking apart, both of them breathing heavier.

They simply embraced each other in silence, enjoying the moment, nuzzling each other.

Neytiri sensed Jake's intense gaze and she opened her eyes to see Jake staring at her, his eyes filled with profound contentment.

She could see something brimming behind his eyes, something that he wanted to get out. She raised her eyebrows in silent questioning and acknowledgement to whatever he needed to say.

Jake chuckled slightly, unsurprised but still amazed at how Neytiri could read him so well.

He took a deep breath, swallowing heavily before locking his gaze onto Neytiri's.

"Neytiri, I thought I couldn't be lucky enough for you to choose me, even though I wanted you so badly, and I surely thought I couldn't be lucky enough that you could bear our children, and now….well, here I stand, once again amazed how much I have to be thankful for in my life, how unbelievably lucky I am to be having twins with you. When you said you were going to have our child, I was so happy. Now that youre going to be having our children, I'm beyond words….except for these."

Neytiri struggled to maintain her thoughts at the onslaught of Jake's words and how they filled her adoration for her mate. She waited as Jake looked back down at her, his eyes twinkling.

"It's safe to say that you have made me the luckiest…..and the happiest guy in the entire galaxy."

* * *

A/N: Fluff alert! Yeah it had to show up sometime. Sorry to those of you expecting more adventure and glory. Also, sorry to those of you wanting the chapters to keep on being preposterously long in length. Anyway, I want to thank you guys for reading and please Review! I love seeing that shit in my inbox. Also, fanfiction didnt like me posting third party website addresses in my authors note, so it blocked the address i posted in the last authors note for "Stone Cold Metal" for the site where the soundtrack for last chapter is posted. Its on a website called "soundcloud". Just go to the site, type in 'doomitron' into the search bar, and it should come up with my profile. Theres only one track loaded up. Its called "Reunion", appropriately enough. Anyway, I would love to get some feedback on that as well, since I consider it to be essential to the chapter. Also, because I love writing music just as much as literary writing. Please let me know what you think of it. Oh by the way, there will be a sequel to Dream of Revenge. Im coming up with the plot as we speak. In the meantime, please review on this story, and take it easy.


	24. Victory Songs

A/N: Sorry about the long delay, especially for such a short chapter. I hope you guys enjoy. Please Review!

**Victory Song**

"Judging by the massive smile that Jakesully has been wearing all day, I will assume that you have told him that he is to be the father of two children, rather than one"

Neytiri turned from where she stood and saw her mother behind her, she had not noticed her come up, nor had she seen her all morning.

Moat walked out from under the roots of the healer tree, and made her way over to where her daughter stood.

Neytiri simply nodded and smiled, acknowledging her mother's statement, unable to put the happiness and joy of Jake's reaction into simple words.

Moat nodded, a small smile creeping onto her face. She knew just from looking at her daughter, that she was feeling happier than she had at any other time in her life, that she was overwhelmed with emotion at Jake's return, and that she now had her old life back.

Moat stared out over the clearing, watching the comings and goings of the crowded clearing, which was now populated by the warriors of Anat'so and N'guvo, who sat about caring for their wounded and reveling in their victory, enjoying what they could of the midmorning sunlight that fell on the clearing,

She shivered slightly, despite the warmth of the day. After having spent all of the night and most of the morning under the healer tree, caring for the wounded and blessing the dead and fallen, Moat understood only too well how her daughter felt. She was simply but profoundly glad to have things moving back towards the normal, peaceful existence she had lived before.

She turned back to her daughter, trying to refocus her mind on joyful things.

"Where is Jakesully now? He stopped by very early this morning, before the dawn, to find out where you had gone, but I have not seen him since."

Neytiri's eyes shifted from the clearing back to her mother's gaze.

"He left our alcove to gather Odo'khal and Norm, along with F'yukan, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut. He said that in the afternoon he will be holding council with Anat'so and N'guvo, at the base of Hometree."

Moat's eyes flicked to the sun hanging in the bright sky, and then turned back to her daughter.

"Noon is not long off."

Neytiri nodded.

"I was waiting for Jake to return when you came out from the healer tent….I knew you would want to be present for such a meeting, but I also assumed that there were wounded that needed you gravely, so I decided not to interrupt you."

Moat smiled a somewhat sad smile, having been reminded of her grave and somber duty, as a healer.

"You are wise, daughter. I am indeed needed by those wounded in the battle, and I only stepped out to catch some of the fresh air and some warmth from the sun…I trust you to go the meeting in my stead and to counsel your mate and your olo'eyktan as I would, as future T'sahik of the Omaticaya."

Neytiri felt her joy diminish slightly at her mother's words, as she once again became aware of her sense of duty to her tribe. It was not that she was unwilling to do her duties, but she almost felt annoyed by the somber task, and that it infringed upon the unadulterated euphoria that was clouding her mind.

She nodded in acknowledgement of her mother's request, bowing slightly, before turning at the sudden lull in commotion and talking in the clearing.

She turned to see Jake standing at the foot of Hometree, flanked on either side by Anat'so and N'guvo. Even from across the clearing, she could see that his mind was troubled. His eyes betrayed the inner turmoil he was feeling.

She silently watched her mate stare out over the crowd, which was now staring back him, silent and waiting, anxious to hear Toruk Makto speak.

The sound of Jake's deep voice boomed out across the clearing. Neytiri could hear the somber tone in his voice. She felt the need to go stand by him, to show her support, but she also recognized the gravity of the moment, and decided to let Jake speak his thoughts, uninhibited.

"Warriors! Ikran makto! Pa'li makto! Tsamsiyu all…what happened last night was something that should never have to happen. The fighting, the bloodshed….none of It should be something we are familiar with."

He paused, letting his words sink in, and his gaze roved through the crowds, surveying the warriors who had fought for him. When he spoke again, his voice carried a note of hardened regret.

"But it did….it did happen. And we are living in the aftermath. Even though we were victorious, there are brave warriors who can never be brought back. Their memory and legacy will live on in the memories of all of our tribes, and we will give thanks for their sacrifice. "

Jake paused once more, and his head hung low for a moment, before he looked back up at the crowd.

"I couldn't order any of you to fight for me, but when I came asking for those among you, willing to fight, all of you, answered my call. The Omaticaya is in your debt for your service to us, but I am woefully unable to ever repay you for your courage and your help, as you helped me in my hour of need. I don't know what I did to deserve help from any of you, but I am humbled and supremely gratified that because of your sacrifice, I and my tribe are now free…"

A rousing chorus of cheers and fervent shouts rang out in response to Jake's words. Many of the warriors stood, cheering in unison for Toruk Makto's gratitude and for their victory. It was the sound of the exulted happiness that each of them felt from having lived through the battle.

Neytiri could see Jake's face fill with a sort of stoic pride, and she knew that Jake felt still troubled within, she knew that he was unwilling to think that he was worthy of such praise.

She could not help but reflect on how this quality, contrary to Jake's belief, made her mate such a qualified and worthy leader. His humble acceptance of power but his quick and fair assumption of responsibility made him a wise and level-headed olo'eyktan.

It was his natural intuition, a innate sense of calm command the he followed, and he exuded it, causing others to follow him, and it was one of the things Neytiri loved about Jake, his natural instincts, his effortless courage and his unflinching drive.

She saw Jake's face grimace slightly as he was showered with blessings and exultations from the crowd.

Suddenly, Jakes' roving eyes fell upon Neytiri, and even from across the distance of the clearing, they locked with hers. They stared at each other across the crowd, conveying to each other their emotions. Neytiri saw Jake's troubled and guilt ridden mind, and she silently conveyed her reassurance.

Jake smiled slightly and gestured with his pointing hand, up into the boughs of Hometree.

Neytiri smiled in return, understanding his implication, to escape with him, away from the crowd, into the solitude of the leafy stillness of Hometree's upper terraces.

She began to make her way across the clearing and through the crowds of tsamsiyu, who were all talking in hurried and loud tones, but she didn't hear what words they were saying, her mind was too preoccupied with spending time alone with Jake.

When they reached the upper levels of Homtree, Jake grabbed Neytiri by the hand, pulling her along the wide breadth of a long branch that snaked further and further out from the main trunk.

Neytiri peered around Jake's shoulder as they trotted along the branch, and saw ahead of them what seemed to be a solid wall of foliage, a mass of leaves and vines so thickly tangled together, that Neytiri doubted they could go beyond it.

A few moments later, they came to a stop in front of the obstacle, and Jake turned to Neytiri, who was staring up into the boughs, trying to discern where they were in Hometree.

Jake smiled at the puzzled look on Neytiri's face, and he let out a small chuckle.

Neytiri's lowered her gaze to Jake, and her expression became even more confused and bewildered as she saw Jake was smiling with an air of smug satisfaction about him.

Neytiri narrowed her eyes, staring back at Jake. She now knew that he was up to something, but she was unaware as to what it was. She could sense that he had some purpose to bringing her here, and now her curiosity was piqued.

Jake raised his eyebrows, trying in a lame attempt to demonstrate his own confusion and possibly try to pass himself off as innocent to his mate.

It did not work.

In the dimness of the green light, Jake could see Neytiri's eyes start to glimmer with annoyance, so he gave a sigh and turned towards the wall of foliage standing before them, running up into the branches above.

He turned back to Neytiri and took her hand, squeezing it and reassuring her of his innocent intentions.

The look of annoyed curiosity that had clouded Neytiri's face before dimmed and she smiled slightly at the feeling of warmth she felt from Jake's contact and gaze.

He bent down and placed a quick kiss upon her lips, a kiss to calm her, to do away with any concern that she had.

As they broke apart, their eyes locked onto each other, and Jake smiled before turning back to the vegetation in front of them. He stuttered over his first words, almost as if trying to remember what he had been about to say.

"When we first moved here, into the new Hometree, there was so much to do, and so many people were pulling me in so many directions, wanting my help with this or that….."

He paused, before turning back again to Neytiri, staring at her with a thoughtful expression on his face as he thought back on the first weeks they had spent in their new home.

"Well, that was to be expected, and as olo'eyktan, I knew it was going to be a tough time and that it would a lot of work, but I knew I owed it to the People to try my best…but during that time, there was no time for us, no time for me and you, and I missed that badly."

Neytiri reached out and laid her hand upon Jake's shoulder, and her eyes silently encouraged him to go on, seeing that he clearly was leading up to something.

Jake reached out with his other hand and placed it upon her hand, smiling at her gesture, before sighing and continuing.

"So, after things had settled down somewhat here and the People had begun to slip back into some sort of routine of daily life, I returned my focus back to what mattered most to me…..you"

Neytiri smiled at Jake's words, feeling her heart swell with loved and warmth. Jake could sense her happiness and his smile only grew bigger, but he continued, trying to fully explain what he was getting at.

"I wanted to make up for that bit of time lost, and I wanted to make sure we could have time to ourselves when we needed or wanted it…..right here at Hometree."

With those last words, he reached up, and stuck his hands into the mess of vines and leaves, and to Neytiri's amazement pulled them aside.

She had to close here eyes at first, as the brilliant sunlight of noon invaded the branch and dispelled the murky green dimness.

When her eyes adjusted, she raised them to see what was laid out before her, and when she did; her jaw fell open in silent joy.

Before her, was a platform of sorts, a massive congruence of overgrowing vines and interlocking branches from adjacent boughs that formed a floor of live vegetation.

Overhead, the branches of the intertwining boughs formed a roof through which no light entered and no rain could drip,

However, the best aspect of this newfound niche, was the fact that Neytiri was staring out over the forest and the lake, from one of the highest vantages within Homtree.

A large and wide opening in the curtain of vegetation looked out over the world, and Neytiri stepped through the curtain that Jake held open for her, and in wide eyed amazement, she walked around the space and stood at the edge of the branches and marveled at the view she was afforded.

Jake joined her at the edge of the platform, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun.

After opening his eyes once more, he stared down at his mate and saw her eyes still surveying the awesome panorama that lay before them.

Silently, he reached down and intertwined his hand with hers .

Neytiri started slightly at the contact, and she looked to Jake, taking in once again the satisfied smirk he wore.

Before she could say anything, Jake spoke, sensing her questions and her amazed curiosity.

"Well, I found this place about a month and a half after we moved in…..unbelievably, it was because I had taken a wrong turn on my way to the ikran roost. I was fumbling around in the branches, and it was getting dark, so the farther and farther I got up into these thick branches, the darker and darker it got…apparently I got turned around, and thought I was heading back in the right direction, when I came to the curtain we just passed through, and pushed it away to reveal this unbelievable little nook that was tucked away in the most isolated part of Homtree."

Jake's smiled grew as he was finally finished with what he wanted to explain and show to Neytiri, and now he silently waited for her to say something, to see what she thought of his little discovery,

Neytiri could find no words to accurately convey how she felt, so instead she reached up upon her tiptoes and kissed Jake deeply, pushing her joy and appreciation through the bond and through their joined lips.

In return, Jake tried as hard as he could to show his admiration and love for his mate, making sure that Neytiri knew this, and that all that he did was to make their life together, that much better.

Before long, they ended up sitting on the floor of the platform, with Neytiri leaning back into Jake's embrace, while he nuzzled her neck and kissed her cheek.

They both reveled in the contact, once again appreciating each others small gestures and caresses, despite both of them being fully aware of wanting more from each other, but as before, they had silently acknowledged that they couldn't for fear of hurting the twins.

They simply lay there, watching the day progress through the opening in their private nook. They talked of things that had happened, but they both focused on the future, talking of their plans for the tribe and themselves, and how they would go about accomplishing those plans.

Talking about the future as if it was a concrete and certain thing, helped to dispel the lingering stress and fear they felt, after having been torn apart for so long. Being together and talking about their children's futures brought them further and further away from the traumas and pains they had endured. They both assuaged their fears of losing the other by holding on tighter to each other as they sat there.

* * *

It was with a start that Jake woke up later in the afternoon, as he sat up quickly from where he had lain with Neytiri's head resting on his chest, and he quickly realized that it was past time that he had designated for the meeting to be.

He quickly grabbed a groggy Neytiri, who was bleary eyes and looking quite annoyed about have been awoken so rudely.

"Neytiri, c'mon, we got to get up…..we are late for the meeting."

Neytiri, merely swatted at him, trying to get him to either release her or lay back down with her. Jake sighed, realizing that Neytiri was not usually this tired, but with the twins, she was becoming exhausted more easily.

He gently stood up and brought her up with him, hooking his arms underneath her shoulders and hugging her to him, to hold her up.

Neytiri protested feebily, her voice heavy with sleep.

"My Jake…..sleep….lay down….come back…..sleep"

Jake rolled his eyes and smiled as a massive yawn interrupted her babbling, and he couldn't help but find this unusual behavior for his mate slightly endearing.

He more or less carried her as they made their way down out of Hometree, and he received amused looks from passing tribe members. Jake blushed slightly as a passing group of young females commented on how 'cute' they were.

He finally reached the bottom of Hometree, and Neytiri was now more alert and conscious, but Jake still held onto her, supporting her.

Neytiri, usually fiercely independent, strangely did not complain at Jake assisting her so much. Jake did not complain as was secretly happy that his usually headstrong mate was letting him be there for so much in such an overt fashion.

Jake rounded the last bend in the spiral of Hometree, and came face to face with Anat'so, N'guvo, Odo'khal, Norm, F'yukan, Dharga, Ja'ri and K'yuut, all of whom jumped up at seeing Jake half carrying Neytiri.

Jake and Neytiri both assured them that she was fine, and that she was just tired and fatigued. Some of them still look unconvinced, but Jake took no notice as he turned to Neytiri, staring into her eyes with a look of tender concern.

"Hey…..you don't have to be here, I know you said you needed to be here to represent your mother in tribal affairs, but I can represent both of us, I don't want you pushing yourself…just say the word and I'll take you back up to our alcove and you can sleep there."

Neytiri inwardly smiled at Jake's concern and his sweet offer, but she shoved it down inside of her. She was needed to represent her mother and to act as the Tsahik she would become some day. She put on a brave face, forced her tiredness aside and smiled, placing a hand upon Jake's cheek.

"Jake, I am fine…they are waiting on us, let us go."

Looking unconvinced, Jake took Neytiri's hand and turned to the assembled group that now awaited their presence.

The meeting passed and the assembled leaders and commanders of the tribal forces discussed the future of inter tribal alliances, especially between the Omaticaya and the tribes of Eastern Sea and the Plains.

At this point, Jake called on Norm to bring out the knives he had crafted while at Hell's Gate during the time of his 'death'. He presented a knife each to Anat'so and to N'guvo, who both marveled the weapons, and thanked Jake for them.

Jake quickly corrected them.

"Please, I cannot accept you thanks. These tokens are gifts, but are a poor attempt at paying you back for the service and sacrifice you and your warriors gave to me and to my people. I hope they become tokens of our friendship, though, and will continue to be a reminder of what clans can accomplish when unified and allied with one another."

All those present nodded in approval of the wisdom in Jake's words. After a short silence, in which they reflected on the aftermath of the battle, Odo'khal cleared his throat, turning to Jake.

"Odo'khal, if I could have your permission to speak?"

Jake rolled his eyes.

"You're a free man, Odo, you don't need my permission to say something…what's on your mind?"

Odo'khal turned back to the assembled leaders.

"In the past few days, we have all lost many warriors and friends, people we would rather have lived, but those that did, gave their lives for all of our's freedom and safety. I think we should honor their sacrifice by making sure this tribe stays safe."

Odo'khal paused, turning back to Jake once more.

"Once again, with your leave, olo'eyktan, I alone, or with any who would follow me, will go after the remnants of the Kyllteyka and make sure that they flee all the way back to the desolate lands of the South. I would follow them, and make sure that they do not try to hurt us or any other tribes that they encounter…and I would also seek to explore lands that before were unknown to us, to make contact with tribes we have never seen, to forge alliances and friendships with those of our kind that live outside of our scope of influence. I would leave to do this two moons from now."

There was a silence amongst those assembled, and nobody said anything, quite unsure what to make of Odo'khal's proposal.

"Just as Jake said, you are a free man, Odo, and you don't need any of ours permission…..its your choice, although, if you go, you will be sorely missed around Hometree."

Everyone turned to look at Neytiri, her words having surprised them. Jake turned to face his mate beside him, his eyebrows raised in a thoughtful and slightly confused manner.

If someone had asked him, he would have thought that Neytiri would be strictly against having one of the tribes best warriors going off on a lengthy and somewhat dangerous quest.

Jake did not necessarily like the thought of Odo'khal journeying afar without protection or support, but just as Neytiri had stated, he didn't feel like it was his place to speak against Odo'khal's wishes. He may what they called 'olo'eyktan', but that did not mean he had any desire to inhibit or command the desires of his friends and warriors loyal to him.

Jake nodded his head as he turned back to Odo'khal.

"Odo, you do what you will…you will be missed, but at the same time, we will all sleep better at night, knowing you are abroad protecting us, and making new friends of the Omaticaya. You don't have to do this though, we would just as much rather that you stayed here, amongst us, amongst your friends…."

Jake saw that there was no swaying Odo'khal, thought. He would broach no argument or protest to his leaving. Jake could see that his asking permission was merely a formality and a courtesy, and that despite what anyone said, there was no stopping Odo'khal from leaving. Jake wasn't sure was causing his friend's sudden desire to leave, but wisely remained silent, thought he told himself to make sure to question Odo'khal further upon a later date.

Odo'khal merely nodded at Jake's words.

"Thank you, olo'eyktan."

Without further words, Odo'khal got up and left the meeting, heading away from Hometree, towards the lake.

Jake followed Odo'khal with his eyes as the giant disappeared down the hill, only being brought back to the present by Neytiri's voice addressing the rest of the leaders assembled in front of him.

He turned back to see all eyes upon him, and Neytiri looked to him, as if expecting an answer. Jake cocked his head and turned to Neytiri.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Neytiri could see he was troubled by Odo'khal's behavior, but decided to pursue the matter later. She repeated her question.

"Is there anything else that needs to be addresses while we are all gathered here."

Jake turned his gaze back up to the other clan leaders, fixing them all with a strong gaze.

"The only thing I have left to say, is that there should be no time, when we cannot come together to help each other, and that for your help, the Omaticaya is forever in your debt."

The clan leaders gave words and gestures of thanks, and there was a few words exchanged before the gather started to break apart as people departed. When the assembled warriors and leaders had dispersed, Jake turned to Neytiri, and they both saw in each other's eyes, their worry for Odo'khal's strange behavior.

Neytiri opened her mouth to speak, but Jake gently shushed her, placing a hand upon her shoulder.

"I know, I know that something is wrong with Odo'khal, and I will talk to him, but he needs time to be alone and think right now. Just let it be for right now…we will figure out later."

Neytiri still looked worried, and in response Jake plastered a smile on his face. Neytiri looked confused at his happy expression, and he gave her a quick peck on the lips before mischeviously stating.

"I cant be worried right now by Odo'khal, or have your forgotten? Its party time! We've got a victory to celebrate."

With that, Jake shot up, and extended his hands down to Neytiri, who took them, and he lifted her up, bringing straight into a deep kiss.

Neytiri laughed at Jake's antics, calling him a child, but responding in kind to the kiss, which was quickly becoming passionate…..in broad daylight.

They separated when they heard a soft sound of annoyance and disapproval coming from behind them.

Jake turned, with Neytiri still clinging to him, to see Moat standing there, with a look of gruff censure upon her face.

Neytiri looked down, her ears pinning back slightly, and her cheeks blushing a deeper shade of blue, while Jake stood his ground, smiling sheepishly, but ultimately unabashed about his display of affection for Neytiri.

* * *

The rest of the evening was spent in a massive celebration of the victory won. There was singing, dancing, as much food as hunters and cooks could muster on such short notice. Everyone took time to honor the victorious dead, but all strove to, in their celebratory mirth; forget the pain and suffering of the battle. They sought to put the past behind them and to revel in the fact that Hometree was now liberated.

As the party went on in to the late hours of the night, Jake courteously dismissed himself from a rowdy group of hunters who were urging him to take another swig of a very powerful drink they were passing around.

He had already taken one drink too many, and we was quite positive there was a headache in his near future, but all he wanted to do right now was find his mate and go to bed.

He politelfully declined the drink and said his goodbyes to his comrades, before heading off in the direction of the healer alcove, where he had last seen Neytiri.

He found her sleeping peacefully next to a small fire that Moat was tending, preparing warm water and herbs for the wounded she still tended.

Jake gave a small, tired nod to Moat before scooping up Neytiri and carrying her back across the clearing and up the spiral root of Hometree, to their alcove.

As he laid her down in the bed, she came awake and stared back up at him.

Jake smiled back at her before joining her in the bed, where Neytiri proceeded to scoot up alongside him, laying her head on his chest.

They lay there for a while, both tired and breathing evenly, but neither was asleep. They simply enjoyed the contact with each other. Finally, Jake broke the silence, knowing that his mate was still awake.

"Neytiri….?"

Without picking her head up, Neytiri responded to Jake's inquiry.

"Yes, my Jake, what is it?"

Jake struggled with his words for a short bit, unsure as if how to continue, but he finally seemed to find his voice.

"I had a dream this afternoon…when we were asleep up in the nook."

The silence that followed was significant of Neytiri's confusion as to where this was leading, but she made a small noise of acknowledgment to let Jake know that he should continue.

"It was a very vivid dream, and I honestly think it was a premonition of some kind….it felt absolutely real."

Neytiri nodded into his chest, seeming unsurprised by his claim or the amazed tone he had in his voice.

"It was you truly beginning to See, my Jake. You had a dream vision from Eywa. This is a good sign…what was it about? Whom did it concern?"

Jake paused once more, unsure how to continue, and he faltered in his answer.

"It was about….about…..two young Na'vi…two Na'vi who looked exactly alike."

There was a few seconds before Neytiri's head shot up, her sleepiness forgotten and her eyes wide in wonder and curiosity.

Jake beamed at the expression on her face.

'That got your attention, didn't it?"

It was Neytiri's turn to fumble with her voice, and in her anticipation and curiosity, she could not seem to make coherent words. Finally she struggled out….

"Tell me all that you saw in your dream…"

Jake leaned up and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then upon the lips, bringing her closer to him, so that he could stare directly into her eyes as they laid across from one of another.

He then took one of his hands and placed it upon Neytiri's round belly. His eyes were glowing with happiness as he turned to Neytiri, a lopsided grin planted squarely on his face.

"Where to begin…...well, first of all, what do you think of the names Thomas and Eytukan?"

* * *

A/N: There will be one more chapter after this, an epilogue of sorts. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was sort of hard to write, as I had not quite gotten this far when I had planned out my outline. I will release more details as to the sequel to Dream of Revenge, in the authors note of next chapter. Sorry again about the wait. Take it easy.


	25. Epilogue

A/N: Dudes and ladies, I am very, very, very sorry about the astronomical amount of time between updates, especially considering this is the last chapter. I know, I'm a douche. I know. It sucks. But seriously, I have been quite busy in the past 3 months. Really busy. And tragedy also struck about a month ago. My darling laptop fell victim to a nasty keylogger virus. A real bastard piece of code. Tried to steal all my information, so my coworker/digital jedi has been nursing my poor Dell D830 back to health. Anyway, tangent aside, Im really sorry about the wait, and here is the last chapter of Dream of Revenge. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you review it, but I really can understand if your opinion of this closing segment is colored by the fact that its 3 months late. Awesome. Enjoy. Review...(There will be a sequel).

**Epilogue**

Jake ran about the clearing in a frenzied state, heeding nothing and trying solely to focus on doing what he had been instructed to do.

The clearing was a sacred hollow that Moat had directed him to, and she had urged him to conduct himself there in dignity and reverence.

Jake tripped on a root, and cursed loudly as he fell face first into the leaves and the bag containing the dozen or so atokirina flopped open, sending the sacred seedlings gently spilling onto the forest floor.

Jake spat out a wad of dirt and leaves, cursing loudly.

"God-fucking-damnit!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized where he was, and scrambling back to his feet, he looked skyward and muttered a hasty apology before bending over and beginning to scoop the fugitive atokirina back into his sack, trying to do so with speed but also being mindful of the reverence he was supposed to show them.

He had to focus on the task at hand.

And not think about the fact that his mate was in the full throes of labor.

He had been all but expelled from Hometree, by both Moat and Neytiri, who, in her labor pains, had threatened to kill him…..repeatedly.

Moat had assured him that she and other healers had everything under control, and that he had important tasks to perform as the impending father to be.

Jake could not imagine any duty or function more important than being by Neytiri's side during the labor and birth of their children…..their sons, but apparently, it was in the fashion of Omaticaya birthing customs for the father to not be present. Jake had voiced his displeasure and consternation with this particular custom, and he instantly regretted having voiced his opinion, receiving two death glares from both Moat and Neytiri.

None of the other healers looked too kindly at him for his attempted breach of clan protocol.

After having recognized the fact that there was no way he was going to win this battle, Jake waited patiently through Moat's description of his tasks he had to perform for the birthing ritual.

Moat reminded him he had double the work to do than any other father, as he had to make preparations for two children.

She explained that first he must go down to the lake and retrieve water for the vessels in which the twins would be anointed as children of their parents and children of Eywa.

In addition to the collection of water, Jake had to say a whole litany of prayers, asking Eywa for guidance in raising the children, and asking her to let the children truly See.

His final task, with him being Olo'eyktan, and his sons being his heirs, was to collect several atokirina and draw his own blood, and mix the two together into the water he collected from the lake.

The last ritual was a ceremonial blessing of his bloodline, and passing on that blessing to his heirs in the anointing.

Jake didn't have really any trouble going through the prayers, though they were long and varied, and Moat had insisted on him saying them in the correct order and rhythm. He stumbled his way through those, hoping his Na'vi was correct and that the verse rhythm was close enough. When he had successfully said the whole sect of prayers in one sitting, he leapt up from where he had been on one knee by the lakeshore, and leapt in one agile motion onto Smaug's back, eliciting a cry of discomfort from his mount, who had been waiting patiently next to his rider.

Jake made tsayhalu, laughing at the ikran's jolt of annoyed anger.

Jake gritted his teeth in a nervous, forceful smile.

"Get over it, and get your ass in the air, we've got work to do."

With that, Jake yanked back on the reins and with a snap of leathery wings they were airborne in the dim light of dusk, heading West to the sacred hollow where atokirina could be found.

Once Jake had once more collected the wayward atokirina that had spilled in his tumble, he spared no time in reigning in Smaug once more and swung one leg over his mount, simultaneously pulling on the reins, sending them careening upwards into the night.

After collecting water from the lake, Jake sprinted full tilt back up to Hometree, disregarding the cheers and attempted jovial greetings from his clansmen.

Many clan members had turned out, anxious to see the birth of the first Na'vi twins, the children of Toruk Makto and their Olo'eyktan, no less.

He blew past them, and none of them felt offended at his manner, when they saw the anxious and slightly crazed light in his eyes. Many of the mated males in the clan, who had children of their own, were all to familiar with the attitude of a man possessed that Jake seemed to exhibit.

Jake sprinted through the gap in the crowd, holding tightly to the bulging waterskin and the bag filled with floating seedlings.

He was a man on a mission and he let nothing deter him from reaching the terrace of Hometree, where his alcove lay.

He did not notice his labored breathing and the sweat standing on his forehead, testament to the fact that he had taken the central spiral of Hometree two steps at a time, so focused was he on the fact that not far from him now was the room where his sons would come into the world.

He skidded to a halt not far from the entrance to the alcove, and he made an effort to be quiet so as to hear the chatter from within, and from that glean some information as to what was going on and Neytiri's progress.

He set down the waterskin, and the bag of atokirina, and he quietly and (what he thought was) stealthily creeped towards the entrance.

In a clatter of beads and shells, the covering to his alcove was thrown aside, and Moat strode out into the darkness, her head swinging from the side to side, before her eyes settled on him.  
Jake could see the tense light of anticipation in her gaze, and he felt none the better for having it directed at him.

How the hell had she known he was here?

Moat shook her head and held her hand out, palm up, in a gesture indicating that he could come no further.

Jake held back his grumbling protest and tried to hold back the bristling agitation he felt at being told he could not go in to see his own mate.

Moat sensed his displeasure and shook her finger at him, and he rolled his eyes at the gesture, one a mother might to do to a wayward and misbehaved child.

Suddenly, a voice cut through his frustration.

"Jake?"

His eyes lit up and his ears perked up on his skull. His face became clouded as his mind raced into anticipatory overdrive.

"Yeah, Neytiri, I'm here…..are you ok? Are you in pain? Can I please come in?"

He heard a muffled chuckle come from within the alcove, and he knew it to be Neytiri's and his face split into a smile.

However, the chuckle was soon replaced with a series of spastic screams and sobs.

His ears pinned to his head and before he could yell out to Neytiri, Moat caught his attention with a single, firm "No", before turning and disappearing back into the alcove.

As a long deluge of wails and screams persisted for the next while, Jake paced and paced upon the deck of branches, a millions scenarios whirring through his mind, dimming his happiness and blurring his sense of reason. Each scenario seemed worse than the last.

Finally he came upon the thought, in some dark mental catacomb, that perhaps the combination of twins and the irregular genetics of he and Neytiri's coupling could not result in anything good, any viable child….and that because of mating with her, he was the one that putting her in the pain that he was hearing her go through now.

His mind descended further and further into a dark spiral of terrifying thoughts and images, one which caused his hands to ball into fists and his eyes to squint, as if shutting his eyes would block out the light, and thereby the images he saw in his mind could not come to pass.

Suddenly his mind came to screeching halt, and all the dark dimensions of his mind faded instantly before the clarion sound that flooded his ears.

The wheedling cries of a baby's first breaths.

Jake's jaw dropped as he burst through the covering of the alcove, skidding to a halt in front of Neytiri.

The healers laughed at his entrance but fretted all the same at the fact that he was supposed to wait for Moat to call him in.

There before him, was Neytiri, teary eyed, and doused in sweat, holding a small bundle wrapped in bark cloth. His eyes flicked over to where Moat stood cradling another small bundle in her arms.

Jake's amazement was such that even in the swirling torrent of joy that he felt, he could not smile. He slowly walked over to Neytiri's side, never taking his eyes from her.

Neytiri looked up at him, and their eyes connected, sending a fresh wave of tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Neytiri smiled up at her mate.

Jake 's face remained entranced, frozen in a mask of blissful shock.

He slowly fell to one knee, and taking Neytiri's face in both hands, he kissed her with every amount of love he could muster.

Even for her exhaustion, Neytiri returned the kiss, both of them feeling the undaunted and undimmed flow of happiness and love between them.

Their lips lingered near each other as they slowly pulled away, neither of them wanting to relinquish the moment and the sensation of each other's love.

Finally, and with great effort, Jake tore his eyes from Neytiri's and turned them to the bundle that lay in her arms.

Neytiri followed his gaze with a radiant smile and gently peeled back some of the layers that hid the child from view.

Jake's eyes roved over feature of the child's face, taking in the fact that though the child lacked eyebrows, he looked almost exactly like his father (and his uncle).

Jake reached out with his finger to touch the child, and to his surprise and delight, the child opened his eyes, small golden orbs flecked with greenish sparks, and reached out a tiny four fingered hand to encase his father's prodding finger.

Jake felt the tiny vibrancy of life from within that grip and he simply uttered.

"Thomas…."

Neytiri smiled in such a way that it caught Jake's attention, and he turned to look back at her, and the expression upon her face, his eyes clouded and he looked at her questioningly.

"What?"

She paused, holding back a chuckle, before she answered.

"I think it if funny that you pick the name Thomas for this son, while your other son, looks just the same, so I am simply wondering at your reasoning?"

Jake leapt up and gently stepped over Neytiri and crossed the room to where Moat stood.

She held out the bundle to him, and he took his son into his arms, and saw that Neytiri was right. They both looked exactly alike.

They were twins, after all.

They looked like Jake in the face, bearing his smaller eyes, his nose, and his shorter ears, but they were bound to their pure Na'vi heritage by their lack of eyebrows and the four fingered hands and toes that they sported.

Jake locked eyes with his son, and he felt that his naming had been correct.

He looked back over to Neytiri, and smiled down at her, before saying in a quiet but confident voice.

"Something tells me that I named them correctly…looking into their eyes, they are silently telling me who they are…this"

Jake pointed with his head to the bundle in his arms

"This is Eytukan…..and you are holding Thomas".

Neytiri smiled and nodded.

"I felt it too…..I felt it in the breaking of the bond as they were born. Some inner force told me who came first."

Jake walked over to her, and carefully bent down to kiss her, before removing Thomas from her arms, and he stood there awhile, holding both of his children in his arms, silently marveling at them.

Silently marveling at the future.

* * *

It was in the early hours of the morning, where the darkling light of pre-dawn stood out against the darker shades of night, when Odo'khal came to their alcove.

Jake knew what he had come for, and he looked from Odo'khal to the sleeping form of his sons and Neytiri.

He then sensed a pair of eyes upon them, and he turned to see Moat in the corner, staring at them both.

She had heard Odo'khal's speech at the council of leaders. She knew his intentions.

Therefore, with a silent wave and nod, she assured Jake that she would look after his family for a while, and that he needed to go with Odo'khal.

With one last final glance towards his sleeping family, he strode out of the alcove with Odo'khal into the darkness.

By the time that they made it down to the lake, where Odo'khal had prepared his supplies and rations in a pack, the first towering spires of fiery dawn were spreading out from the rim of the horizon.

Jake turned to look out over the land, his eyes distant and his expression indiscernible.

He let forth a huge sigh, before turning to look back up at Odo'khal, his golden eyes reflecting the red fire of day's first light shooting forth and dancing upon the surface of the lake.

"There is nothing to say at a time like this….nothing that will offer any more comfort or help."

Odo'khal put forth his hands in a gesture of placation and reassurance.

"Don't worry about me, you do not need to say anything more on my behalf….where I'm going, I only have my strength and wits to rely on."

Jake was silent, pondering slightly Odo'khal's words. The giant suddenly let forth a laugh and slapped a hand to Jake's shoulder.

Jake looked up in confusion.

"Don't worry about saying anything to me, I'll be fine…..all you need to worry about is coming up with something to say that will stop your mate from killing you where you stand. We've spent far too much time at this already, Neytiri is probably furious."

Jake rolled his eyes, and waved his hand, as if warding off the probable truth of Odo'khal's claim.

"Yeah, yeah…I love her more than anything, and I love the twins, but this is important…..they can wait for just a small while longer."

At those words coming from Jake, Odo'khal quieted his laughter, and there was a moment of silence between them.

Jake suddenly narrowed his eyes at Odo'khal, and pointed a finger at him, his tone smacking of mock anger, but his words were no less earnest because of it.

"The only thing I can say now is that you need to take care of yourself, I mean you are going off on this crazy journey….with no backup and no idea of where you are going! Be back by the end of the next rainy season, or I will kick your ass!"

Odo'khal smiled and let out a gruff chuckle, his eyes flicking downwards.

Jake smiled, but his tone became even more serious.

"I'm serious Odo, take care of yourself…I know you can handle yourself and hold your own, but it's a big world out there, and unfortunately, as we've seen, there are Na'vi who are not like the People, not of the same mind and spirit."

Jake sighed deeply and then held out his hand.

Odo'khal looked down at the outstretched hand, hesitating slightly at the foreignness of the gesture, even though he knew it to be common amongst humans. After several moments of Jake's hand hanging in the air, Odo'khals massive slab-like hands reached out and embraced Jake's smaller, outstretched hand.

Jake beamed and shook Odo'khal's hand vigorously, chuckling slightly at the giant's seeming unfamiliarity with the gesture.

When their hands broke, Odo'khal reached with one of his and rested it on Jake's shoulder, smiling down at his friend.

"Its time for me to take my leave, Olo'eyktan, with your final word of approval?"

Jake scowled slightly at the title Odo'khal kept referring to him by, but his features quickly lightened again, and a strange air of stoic levity came over him.

Once again, he pointed a finger at Odo'khal narrowing his eyes.

"Move it, Marine! Get the hell out of here, before I change my mind!"

Odo'khal's shoulders shuddered slightly in silent laughter, and with one last nod to Jake and an adjustment of the weight on his back, he turned and started along the Eastern shore of the lake.

Jake watched him go.

His mind was torn in two. A part of him was so focused in on Neytiri, and his newly birthed sons, and that part flared up in him at that moment, screaming inside his head for him to head back up to Hometree, to kiss his mate, and hold his sons.

But he stayed. There was another part of him that rooted his feet and stayed his focus, as he watched Odo'khal as he diminishing among the slight surf of the lakeshore. This part worried for Odo'khal, but even more, that part of him wanted to be with him, seeing what he could of the strange world that was his home now.

Jake smiled. That was Tommy coming out in him. Tommy was the explorer, the one who wanted to see all that could be seen…..from the tallest three, to the fragile leaves of the smallest flower, Tommy wanted to be there to see it, to visit the places that few people frequented, to actually behold with his own eyes the things that he had learned about and been told stories of.

After all, that's how this whole mess started.

Jake chuckled again.

Tommy the explorer…..the adventurous, fearless scholar just had to see this whole new planet, a vibrant world floating through the void. He had to see Pandora with his own eyes.

He had to cross the vast gulfs of space, trillions upon trillions of miles from his home, to discover the nuances and wonders of life on a world so different and yet so similar to his own.

Tommy had to be one to do that.

But it hadn't been. Jake had assumed that role, that task.

Jake brought his hands up to his eyes to look at them. He watched the early morning sun drape his blue skin in a radiant hue of white. One by one, Jake watched the dots on his skin begin to light up in response to the light, like tiny constellations winking out of darkling blue vault of evening.

Tommy was dead, and he was here.

Jake's thoughts turned once more to his own life, and the chaotic string of coincidence that brought him to where he now stood, and his thoughts turned to his own life, his own spirit.

His thoughts turned immediately to Neytiri and the twins.

Jake looked back up to the rising sun and the shore….

Odo'khal was gone, vanished from his sight.

Jake smiled a half smile, shaking his head…sending a silent prayer to Eywa to look after his friend and to see him back to them someday.

With that, Jake turned on his heel and walked back up the slope to Hometree, a lone figure flickering in the shadows cast by the beginning paths of pale golden light.

* * *

A/N: Wow, what can I say? Sorry again about the horrendous delay. Thank you all who have read my story, and especially those of you who have been following this story from its first posting. My proverbial hat goes off to you. You guys are awesome. I really hope you enjoyed the story, because I enjoyed writing it, and thank you to those of you who took the time to review and critique my work. As this being my first fanfiction (though it is no longer new), I really got a look at differing perspectives on my writing style. What style? Im not sure. Anyway, this has been an awesome time sharing my ideas with you guys, and I hope some of you will stay tuned for the sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel. It will be called Terminus. Those of you who are Dark Tranquility fans will get this much more, and even just from that title have a glimpse of what the story will be about. Cryptic and lame hints aside, I hope you all had fun reading this, and I hope to start working on the sequel soon. As always, take it easy. Over and out...


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